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McCain Identifies Nearly $1 Billion in Earmarks in Labor, HHS Appropriations Conference Report
December 19, 2001
Washington, DC -- U.S. Senator John McCain delivered the following statement on H.R. 3061, the conference report to the FY 2002 appropriations bill for the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and other related agencies:"Mr. President, I want to thank the conferees of this bill for their hard work. This important legislation provides federal funding for the Departments of Labor (DOL) and Health and Human Services (HHS), Education and related agencies.
"Mr. President, I am pleased to see increased funding for many programs especially in light of our nation's war on terrorism. This includes an increase in funding for bioterrorism activities and for strengthening our nation's public health infrastructure. This funding is critical for our states, localities and our nation as a whole, to ensure that we are ready to respond to all contingencies.
"There is funding to ensure our nation's food supply remains safe and resources for helping meet the health care needs of the uninsured. In addition to funding key public health programs, this bill provides funds for helping states and local communities educate our children. Furthermore, it funds our scientists who are dedicated to finding treatments, if not cures, for many illnesses, including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and ALS. This legislation also ensures our nation's most vulnerable -- our children, senior citizens and the disabled --have access to quality health care. Funds are also provided for important programs that assist working families needing child care, adult daycare for elderly seniors, and Meals on Wheels.
"But for all the good in this bill, Mr. President, I ask how many other worthy programs are being shortchanged because of our parochial appetites. Again I find myself in the unpleasant position of speaking about parochial projects in yet another conference report. I have identified nearly $1 billion in earmarks. The total amount in pork barrel spending in appropriations bills considered so far is nearly $15 billion.
"For the Departments of Education, and Health and Human Services, and related agencies, examples of such earmarks include:
* $500,000 for the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, Connecticut-,
* $1 million for the Shakespeare Rose Theater;
* $800,000 to the Mind-Body Institute of Boston, Massachusetts;
* $150,000 for the Lady B Ranch Apple Valley, California for the Therapeutic Horseback Riding Program;
* $500,000 for the University of Washington Center for Health Workforce Studies in Seattle, Washington;
* $132,000 to the Lois Morgan Edward Memorial Library in Nashville, North Carolina; and,
* $100,000 to the Woodstock Guild of Craftsman Inc, Woodstock, New York. For the Department of Labor, examples of earmarks for certain projects or institutions include:
* $750,000 for the Center for Textile Training and Apparel Technology at Central Alabama Community College;
* $200,000 for the University of Arkansas Medical Services BioVentures Incubator for equipment needed for wetlabs used in training;
* $800,000 for Bishops Museum;
* $5 million for the Training and Education Opportunities at the University of Hawaii at Maui;
* $500,000 for the Iowa Policy Project for a study on temporary and contingent workers;
*$ 100,000 for the Career Resources, Inc, Louisville, Kentucky, to establish a workforce computer training program;
* $900,000 for the Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO, for economic and workforce development;
* $200,000 for the Mississippi State University, Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, Mississippi State, MS, for automotive engineering training;
* $385,000 for Minot State University, Minot, ND, for the Minot Job Corps Fellowship Training
Program;
* $375,000 for the New Hampshire Motor Transport Association to recruit, train, and retrain truck drivers in Concord, NH;
* $100,000 for the Northwest Pennsylvania Industrial Resources Center, Inc., Erie, PA, for development and distribution of Foundation Skills Curriculum for Wood/Forest Industry;
* $1.6 million for Midland College, Midland, TX, for training and safety programs for students desiring to work in the oil and gas industry;
* $800,000 for the Seattle King County Workforce Development Council, Seattle, WA, for the purpose of retraining displaced Boeing employees; and,
* $700,000 for the West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation to expand IT training and establish a pilot curriculum.
"Mr. President, while each of these programs may deserve funding, it is distressful to me that these funds are specifically earmarked and not subject to the competitive grant process. There are other job training facilities, health organizations, and educational sites in America that need financial aid for their particular programs and are not fortunate enough to have an advocate in the appropriations process to ensure that their funding is earmarked in this report. I ask my colleagues. How fair is this process to them?
"Mr. President, there are many important programs impacting the labor force, health and education of our nation that depend on the support in this bill. However, we have diluted the positive impact of these programs by siphoning away funds for specific projects or communities that have powerful sponsors on the appropriations committee.
"For example, this report also earmarks $5 million for a program to promote educational, cultural, apprenticeships and exchange programs for Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and their historical whaling and trading partners in Massachusetts. This is a new program authorized by the Senate-passed version of the ESEA reauthorization bill; it was not requested by the Administration. It is interesting to note that even though the United States does not engage or support commercial whaling, we are willing to provide $5 million for a program highlighting the practice.
"Another issue of concern to me is this report's inclusion of $25 million for equipment and facilities to assist public broadcasters with the transition to digital television. I would remind my colleagues that this request was never the subject of a hearing by the Commerce Committee, which is the authorizing committee. I do not believe that Congress is exercising sound fiscal policy when it decides to appropriate millions of dollars to publicly funded television stations so that they may purchase the latest in digital technology. Rather, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting should have come before the Commerce Committee to discuss with us the best way to achieve the goals of public broadcasters and ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.
"In closing, I urge my colleagues to curb our habit of directing hard-earned taxpayer dollars to locality-specific interests and other items that were never appropriately reviewed. This habit has thwarted the very process that is needed to ensure our laws address the concerns and interests of all Americans, not just a few who seek special advantage."
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