This type of earmarking of federal funds must stop. Mr. President, in the last few weeks, the Senate has wasted billions of taxpayers' dollars on wasteful, unnecessary, or low priority projects. Most alarming, we still have 5 more appropriations bills still to be considered. Mr. President, I will not deliberate much longer on the objectionable provisions of this bill. I simply ask my colleagues to apply fair and reasonable spending principles when appropriating funds to the multitude of priority and necessary programs in our appropriations bills.
Fiscal responsibility yields long term dividends to America as a whole.
Moreover, responsible spending will renew the public's faith in their elected representatives, while also insuring that America realizes any projected budget surpluses. Congress can ill afford to waste taxpayers' hard-earned dollars. Let us use the anticipated budget surpluses to save social security and for additional tax cuts. These objectives further the greater public good, and our long-term prosperity. Wasteful pork-barrel spending which has limited short term benefits to a few obscure special interests, does not further the public good.