Highway fund tapped for pork-barrel projects

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Highway fund tapped for pork-barrel projects

Associated Press Feb. 04, 2002

WASHINGTON - For the first time, members of Congress have dipped directly into a pot of highway money destined for the states to help pay for local projects dear to lawmakers.

In doing so, an Associated Press computer analysis found, Congress steered a large amount of the redirected money toward pet projects in the home states of lawmakers who crafted the final spending plan.

Among the winners:

• $3 million for Seattle's Odyssey Maritime museum, championed by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., co-chairwoman of the panel that wrote the final plan.

• $2 million for downtown revitalization in Somerset, Ky., the hometown of the other co-chairman, Republican Rep. Hal Rogers.

• $2.9 million for airport construction in Sugar Land, Texas, hometown of House Majority Whip Tom DeLay. He was on the panel that wrote the final spending plan.

The shift toward more pet projects cost state and local governments about 11 percent of the money they were to get from Washington to spend on transportation.

"It's the classic definition of pork," said Rep. Tom Petri, R-Wis., a member of House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee who voted against the bill.

But it comes with a twist.

While Congress regularly finances pet projects of lawmakers who have clout in spending decisions, this is the first time it has done so by taking money from the general highway formula money going to the states with no strings attached, according to the House committee.

The budget tinkering does not surprise veterans such as Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

"They are emasculating the entire process by going into a back room and dividing up the pork," McCain said. "That is a misuse of power."

-- Anonymous, February 04, 2002


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