In fiscal year 2009, Congress stuffed 10,160 projects into the 12 appropriations bills worth $19.6 billion. The projects represent a 12.5 percent decrease from the 11,610 projects in fiscal year 2008.

The $19.6 billion is a 14 percent increase over the fiscal year 2008 total of $17.2 billion, belying claims of reduced spending. Total pork identified by Citizens Against Government Waste since 1991 adds up to $290 billion.

Although this is the second year of so-called transparency, which requires every earmark to be identified with the requesting member of Congress, the Defense Appropriations Act demonstrated that there is still ample opportunity for spending shenanigans. There were 142 anonymous projects worth $6.4 billion in the defense bill, which was 6.6 percent of the projects and 57 percent of the cost.

In total, out of the 10,160 projects in the 2009 Congressional Pig Book there were 9,939 requested projects worth $11.8 billion and 221 anonymous projects worth $7.8 billion.

The 341 projects, totaling $4.2 billion, in this year’s Congressional Pig Book Summary symbolize the most egregious and blatant examples of pork.

As in previous years, all of the items in the Congressional Pig Book Summary meet at least one of CAGW’s seven criteria, but most satisfy at least two:

• • Requested by only one chamber of Congress;
• • Not specifically authorized;
• • Not competitively awarded;
• • Not requested by the President;
• • Greatly exceeds the President’s budget request or the previous year’s funding;
• • Not the subject of congressional hearings; or
• • Serves only a local or special interest.

Download the 2009 Congressional Pig Book Summary here.

Courtesy, Citizens Against Government Waste