Soon the Capitol Dome may have new lights.  Speaker Pelosi’s Green the Capitol initiative has been the subject of much debate among spending advocates and Members of Congress, and the Capitol Dome illumination plan is no exception.

The “Green the Capitol Initiative” is part of Speaker Pelosi’s environmental policy which includes increased usage of recycled paper, and carbon offset purchases for the House’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Green the Capitol includes an update of the lighting system that illuminates the Capitol Dome at night time.  The contract chosen by the House Administration Committee, worth $671,900 (not including installation), was steered to Rep. Robert Brady’s (D-PA) district - despite receiving other less expensive bids.  As an aside, Mr. Brady is chairman of the House Administration Committee.

I agree that we have a responsibility to be good stewards of the environment, but it must be done in a consistent manner.  Dan Beard, The House Chief Administrative Officer, said of this new lighting project: “We’re not going to drastically cut our energy consumption…”  If Speaker Pelosi would like to upgrade the Capitol’s lighting system at such an exuberant cost, why doesn’t she just come out and say it? 

Furthermore, it would take more than 45 years to recoup the money spent on the new “energy efficient” systems design. 

My question is this, if it is not going to significantly cut energy consumption, and it will actually cost more money in the long run, what is the goal of such a extensive and costly overhaul?

This morning I joined Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) in announcing the release of the 2008 Congressional Pig Book.  CAGW has been releasing the Pigbook as an expos of the wasteful pork-barrel spending in Washington for the past 18 years.

For FY 2008, CAGW found that the porkers in Congress stuffed 11,610 separate pork projects into the 12 appropriations bills.  This marks the second highest total ever of pork projects, totaling $17.2 billion.  That is a 337% increase over the 2,658 projects in fiscal year 2007, and a 30 percent increase over the $13.2 billion total in fiscal year 2007. Out of the 11,610 projects in the 2008 Pig Book there were 11,146 disclosed projects worth $13.8 billion and 464 undisclosed projects worth $3.4 billion.

The CAGW Pigbook highlights many of the earmarks of which I have called to question on the floor of the house including Chairman Charlie Rangel’s infamous “Monument to Me”.

Some other egregious examples include:

 $3 million for The First Tee;
 $1,950,000 for the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service;
 $460,752 for hops research;
 $211,509 for olive fruit fly research in Paris, France;
 $196,000 for the renovation and transformation of the historic Post Office in Las Vegas;
 $188,000 for the Lobster Institute in Maine; and
 $148,950 for the Montana Sheep Institute.

You can find a PDF copy of the 2008 Pigbook here, or at my website.  www.campbell.house.gov

Despite support from Presidential Candidates on both sides; the Associated Press is reporting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has quietly put any hope of an earmark moratorium on ice. 

Over the past month, Pelosi has steadily increased her criticism of the controversial earmark system in Congress:

 “My patience is running out on earmarks….” (AP, 3/6/08)

Speaker Pelosi: “I'm not sure that I see a scenario in which there would be earmarks this year.” (The Washington Post, 3/14/08)

Speaker Pelosi “has signaled a growing weariness with the [earmark] debate and a desire to take the issue off the table going into the November elections.” (Politico, 3/11/08)

“House Dems consider forcing vote on earmarks. House Democratic leaders have grown irritated at … calls for earmark reform by Republicans, and are contemplating … a moratorium on pet spending projects.” (The Hill, 3/6/08)

It just goes to show, that the porkers are still in charge of the Democrats and they still retain significant influence with Republican leadership.  Otherwise, we would have had an earmark moratorium by now.

Thus far 38 Members of the House (4 Democrats & 34 Republicans) have voluntarily taken a pledge to halt their requests for earmarks.

Those of you who follow Congressional proceedings closely will know that tomorrow the House will take up consideration for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).  This legislation has been tossed around in committee between Republicans and Democrats before a “bipartisan agreement” was reached

Originally PEPFAR was authorized for $15 billion ($3 billion for five years). Presently, PEPFAR gets about $6 billion a year. This new legislation being considered would increase this authorization to $10 billion per year or $50 billion over 5 years.

But the simple fact remains, it spends too much money.

Today, I submitted an amendment that will level fund the program at 3 billion per year. 

The point here is that PEPFAR and numerous other government programs spend too much money.  PEPFAR increases the overall foreign aid program by 15%, by itself.  All in a year when the economy is teetering on recession. 

We now have a deficit projected at over $400 billion and increasing; and many people here in Washington are talking about raising taxes. With spending programs like this, we will never get to a balance if we keep increasing such programs by over 300%.  Not to mention, programs like these are separate of our defense and domestic needs

If there was a time to pull in the reins on spending, it is now.

Normally, during a recess period things are kind of quiet around Capitol Hill and you would think your pocketbook is safe.  However, the Appropriations Committee is as busy as ever.  Yesterday an email was circulated highlighting the backlog of earmark requests before the deadline(see below). 

Subject: URGENT -- EXTENSION OF DEADLINE FOR APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE REQUESTS.  PLEASE DISTRIBUTE TO APPROPRIATE STAFF.

Dear Member Offices:

As a result of the massive influx of requests being submitted today, the Appropriations Committee website is experiencing unavoidable access and processing delays.

In order to accommodate Member offices attempting to input data, any request submitted by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, March 24th will be considered as having been submitted “on time” for purposes of consideration by the Committee.

Even though we have made significant strides in getting the process reformed, the earmark gravy train moves forward.

This was yet another opportunity to reign in reckless spending in Washington.  However, Leaders in both the House and Senate have shirked their responsibilities to the people in allowing this practice to continue unabated.

I just got back from the floor.  Take a look at my speech below.  In it, I address some of the most glaring problems with the Democratic budget proposal.

Should we believe what they say or what they do? Or neither?

I am on the floor of the House right now, listening to the spirited debate.  Steny Hoyer (D-MD) the Majority Leader just spoke on the floor.  He labeled earmarks as "Congressional Investments."  Those were his exact words... I am speechless.

Below you will find a letter from U.S. Comptroller General David Walker to Congressman Culberson (R-TX).  Since 1998 Mr. Walker has been the primary auditor of the U.S. government, and this letter highlights our steadily deteriorating financial situation.

Last week the IRS announced that they want you to know that your rebate checks from the economic stimulus plan are almost in the mail.

These notices will go out to roughly 130 million households who filed returns in 2006, at a cost of $42 million. 

That is $42 million to tell you that your check is almost in the mail.  One purpose of sending these letters is to encourage people to file a return, so they can get free money from the federal government.  Given the documented potential for fraud in the tax system, this is an invitation for abuse.

Not to mention, I can think of countless ways of spending $42 million, say….paying down the deficit?

After three years of declining deficits, this plan will help increase the deficit, putting us back in the same situation we were in after 9/11.

During last week's budget debate, Republican Rodney Alexander (LA) offered 2 amendments to the budget resolution which added the Clinton and Obama socialized medicine plans to the budget. These amendments were defeated with all Democrats voting No.

Why would Republicans offer such a thing? Not because Republicans want socialized medicine, but because socialized medicine is very very expensive. Clinton and Obama use the same tax increases to pay for their government-controlled health car plans that the House and Senate Democrats are using just to pay for the general spending increases in the general budget. In other words, they are counting the same tax increases twice!

No wonder they voted No.

The budget is a mess already with Democrats proposing the largest tax increase in history even WITHOUT considering the cost of the signature socialized medicine plans of their presidential candidates. Do they want to raise taxes ever higher? They aren't saying. So you should bet on it.

Yesterday, Mark Kirk (R-IL) took a big step and joined the fight against abusive earmarks.  Rep. Kirk pledged to not request any new earmarks from this point forward. 

This is important because Mark Kirk is the first member of the Appropriations Committee to swear off pork.

With the addition of Kirk there are now 23 Members of the House and 6 Senators who have pledged not to accept earmarks. 

Congressman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) Chairman of the Republican Study Committee just offered an amendment for a one year moratorium on earmarks For the FY 2009 Budget.  It was quickly defeated along party lines. The vote was 16 ayes 21 noes, with 2 members not voting.

See below for a video of my argument in favor of the moratorium.

I just gave a speech to the Budget Committee on my thoughts on the Democrat budget proposal. 

Today’s Democratic budget is doing one thing, digging the spending hole we are already in, deeper.  All the while maintaining the illusion that that this tax-and-spend plan is somehow doing Americans a great service.

This reminds me of a commercial by a man by the name of Matthew Lesko.  This commercial was filmed right here on the west Front of the Capitol.

Mr. Lesko clearly makes a great living publishing books that tell people how to get their hands on government money.  The commercial says. “Let Matthew Lesko be your guide to join the millions each year who get Free Money, Grants, Loans, Giant Contracts and Free Assistance from the Federal Government.

Here are some of his book titles:

       Free Money for Business

       Free Money for a Better Home

       Free money to Pay your Bills…

…and my personal favorite, Free Money to Quit Your Job. But the direction perpetuated by this commercial – and once again furthered by this majority’s budget – is that the government’s money is free.  Regardless of the fancy words we use in Washington to talk about our spending – like “baseline” and “pay-as-you-go” it’s the American taxpayer who gets stuck with the bill.

The Majority’s budget is a $683 billion tax hike – the largest in our nation’s history. Mr. Lasko may think that the money is free, and many Democrats believe that the money is free. But its not. Either someone pays with more taxes now, or someone pays with debt later; and we already are paying too much of both.

I just sat down in the Budget Committee room for today’s markup and we were just handed the Democrats’ budget proposal. 

As details trickle out, it appears that this proposal will be $276 billion above the President’s level in total discretionary spending.  $22-23 billion of that is in nondefense discretionary spending above the President’s level.

This budget appears to raise taxes by $683 billion over 5 years by claiming automatic, scheduled increases in marginal rates (including elimination of 10-percent bracket), higher taxes on marriage and children, higher taxes on investments, small businesses, and estates, and other tax hikes (current record tax increase is held by the 1993 Clinton tax increase of $240.6 billion over 5 years).

And there has been no mention of entitlement reform.

These details are on top of the Budget that the President submitted several weeks ago.  I didn’t particularly like the spending level in the President’s Budget, and this is even worse.

Still no good news for you yet, but I will be sure to keep you updated as we move forward.