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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 580 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 580

      Expressing opposition to congressional spending on earmarks.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 7, 2024

   Mr. Scott of Florida (for himself, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Braun, Mrs. 
Blackburn, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Lee, Mr. Hawley, Mr. Paul, and Mr. Daines) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                           on Appropriations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
      Expressing opposition to congressional spending on earmarks.

Whereas fiscal year 2022 marked the return of ``congressionally directed 
        spending'' and ``community project funding'', also known as 
        ``earmarks'', after a 12-year hiatus;
Whereas the return of earmarks marked the return of lawmakers using their powers 
        to circumvent the rules of the Senate in order to direct taxpayer 
        dollars to wasteful projects;
Whereas, while Congress has the power of the purse, it must be prescriptive and 
        effective in funding programs, projects, and activities of the Federal 
        Government, which is now more than $34,000,000,0000,0000 in debt, rather 
        than focus on funding earmarks that are wasteful in nature;
Whereas the 118th Congress has reinstituted and embraced the wasteful practice 
        of earmarking, as shown by the more than 5,000 requests for earmarks in 
        the House of Representatives and the more than 19,000 requests for 
        earmarks in the Senate for fiscal year 2024;
Whereas Congress has already dramatically increased earmarking since its return, 
        increasing from $9,000,000,000 for 4,970 earmarks passed in fiscal year 
        2022 to $15,300,000,000 for 7,234 earmarks passed in fiscal year 2023;
Whereas the reckless, 1,653 page, $1,700,000,000,000 Consolidated Appropriations 
        Act, 2023 (Public Law 117-328) enacted in December 2022, appropriated 
        billions of dollars to earmarks even though the United States is more 
        than $34,000,000,000,000 in debt and experiencing the highest level of 
        inflation seen in 40 years;
Whereas the massive, fiscal year 2023 omnibus spending bill included funding for 
        earmarks, including $3,600,000 for the Michelle Obama Trail in Georgia, 
        $2,500,000 for a Chinatown arts building in San Francisco, $7,000,000 to 
        fix staircases in the city of Pittsburgh, $12,000,000 for a pedestrian 
        walkway in Vermont, and $3,000,000 for a theater and event space in 
        Pennsylvania, in addition to other earmark projects such as botanical 
        gardens in California, bike parking in Maryland, streetscaping in 
        Connecticut, and a dance festival in Massachusetts;
Whereas the fiscal year 2024 minibus spending bill released on March 3, 2024, 
        includes 605 pages of earmarks with 6,630 individual projects totaling 
        $12,700,000,000, including $3,500,000 for Michigan's Thanksgiving Parade 
        Foundation, $1,000,000 for an environmental justice center in New York 
        City, $500,000 for gardens in San Francisco, $4,000,000 for a waterfront 
        walkway in New Jersey, theater and opera house renovations in Georgia 
        and Pennsylvania, and city hall renovations in Washington and Rhode 
        Island;
Whereas former Senator Tom Coburn condemned the use of earmarks as a ``gateway 
        drug to overspending'' and former Senator John McCain called earmarks 
        ``the gateway drug to corruption and overspending in Washington'';
Whereas several former Members of Congress and lobbyists have been convicted of 
        crimes related to earmarking;
Whereas it is crucial that Congress spend taxpayer dollars wisely and with the 
        best return on investment, especially during times of historic inflation 
        and Federal debt levels; and
Whereas Congress must stop this reckless Federal spending and corrupt political 
        dealing, start paying down the debt of the United States, and get the 
        United States back on track: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) condemns the use of ``congressionally directed 
        spending'' and ``community project funding'', known as 
        ``earmarks'', to direct and appropriate taxpayer dollars in any 
        form;
            (2) reaffirms the previous ban on the use of earmarks and 
        affirms to restore the ban permanently and immediately; and
            (3) affirms the need for Congress to reign in overspending 
        to help curb the inflation crisis that is crippling the 
        families of the United States.
                                 <all>
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