Group finds earmarks drop in fiscal 2010 appropriations – Government Executive
The amount of money earmarked in fiscal 2010 spending bills has dropped more than $880 million, or about 30 percent, from fiscal 2009, according to a preliminary analysis by Citizens Against Government Waste of nine appropriation bills.
The nonpartisan spending watchdog group has tallied the earmarks in seven of the House spending bills and the Senate Agriculture and Homeland Security appropriations bills. The total amount of earmark funding for the nine bills dropped to $1.99 billion in fiscal 2010 from $2.87 billion in fiscal 2009.
"Of course we have to wait until the end to see where it all comes out … but it is definitely moving in a positive direction," said CAGW President Tom Schatz. While he stressed the analysis is very preliminary, "it's about as good as we can get so far."
The group attributed the decline to increased exposure and pressure from taxpayers and anti-earmark groups to answer for the line items, along with consistent pressure from anti-earmark crusaders like Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla.The group attributed the decline to increased exposure and pressure from taxpayers and anti-earmark groups to answer for the line items, along with consistent pressure from anti-earmark crusaders like Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla.
