Earmarks approaching new record 

The most costly, corrupt, and inequitable practice in the history of Congress has once again been exposed in the 2023 Congressional Pig Book. The 31st edition of “the book Washington doesn’t want you to read” tracks the rise of earmarks to near-record levels of spending in the second year since members of Congress restored the practice in fiscal year (FY) 2022. 

Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) released the first Congressional Pig Bookin 1991, based on the seven-point criteria developed in conjunction with the bipartisan Congressional Porkbusters Coalition. The 2023 version exposes 7,396 earmarks, an increase of 43.9 percent from the 5,138 in FY 2022, at a cost of $26.1 billion, an increase of 38.1 percent from the $18.9 billion in earmarks in FY 2022. The cost was $2.9 billion, or 10 percent lower than the record $29 billion in FY 2006. Since FY 1991, CAGW has identified124,212 earmarks costing $437.5 billion.

Legislators are now well on their way to breaking the all-time record, and it may happen as soon as next year. 

The corruption and inequity of earmarks was on display once again in the 2023 Congressional Pig Book. The 89 members of the House and Senate appropriations committees, making up only 17 percent of Congress, were responsible for 41.4 percent of the earmarks and 29.9 percent of the money. As the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) explained regarding those making the case for earmarks, “The problem with all their arguments is: the more powerful you are, the more likely it is you get the earmark in. Therefore, it is a corrupt system.” 

For the second year in a row, the since-retired Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) received by far the highest dollar amount of earmarks. His 18 earmarks cost $666,406,000, which is $125,030,000 (23.1 percent) more than the legislator in second place, the also retired Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), who received 63 earmarks costing $541,376,000. 

Three more senators rounded out the top five: Senate Appropriations Committee member Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), who received 72 earmarks costing $529,856,915; Senate Appropriations Committee member Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who received 134 earmarks costing $489,132,000; and Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), who received 36 earmarks costing $449,315,000. These five members of Congress, constituting .93 percent of the 535 members of Congress, together received $2,676,085,915, or 10.3 percent of the total cost of the FY 2023 earmarks.

Earmarks also benefited senators far more than representatives, as the top 50 earmark recipients by dollar featured only two legislators from the lower chamber. Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas) received 10 earmarks costing $287,537,000, ranking 11th in Congress, and Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) received 11 earmarks costing $176,559,000, ranking 36th in Congress.

Democrats took advantage of the opportunity to get earmarks far more than Republicans. There were 271 Democrats, or 98.5 percent of the 275 in Congress, who received 7,890 earmarks totaling $14,504,807,625, while 127 Republicans, or 48.7 percent of the 261, received 2,109 earmarks costing $7,114,165,577. But the increased number of earmark requests from Republicans indicate that their percentage will rise when the 2024 Congressional Pig Book is released. 

Like the earmarks prior to the moratorium, states and territories with smaller populations got a disproportionate amount, especially if they had members on powerful committees. Alaska ($668.59 per resident) received the most pork per capita, calculated as dollars in earmarks relative to population, followed by the Northern Mariana Islands ($567.06 per resident), Vermont ($411.49 per resident), Hawaii ($400.05 per resident), and the U.S. Virgin Islands ($347.69 per resident). In FY 2022, the top three were Alaska, Vermont, and Hawaii. 

The 31st installment of CAGW’s exposé of pork-barrel spending includes: $1,508,300,000for three earmarks for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), including 18 aircraft beyond the number requested by the Department of Defense; $66,906,190 for 50 earmarks for museums; a record $30,615,000 for 57 earmarks for the Save America’s Treasures grants program; $25,749,000 for theaters; and $13,250,000 for two earmarks funding presidential libraries. 

The near-record amount of spending on earmarks is another indication that members of Congress have willfully ignored or forgotten why they were first subject to the moratorium. The movement gained traction due to the tireless work of members of Congress who publicly shamed their colleagues; high-profile boondoggles like the Bridge to Nowhere; and a decade of scandals that resulted in jail terms for Reps. Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-Calif.) and Bob Ney (R-Ohio) and lobbyist Jack Abramoff. 

There is some hope for taxpayers. Legislation to ban earmarks continues to be introduced in Congress. This effort should gain traction once taxpayers have a chance to let their representatives and senators know what they think after absorbing the porky details of the 2023 Congressional Pig Book. 

Tom Schatz is president of Citizens Against Government Waste.