Congressional Pig Book Reveals Wasteful Pork Spending in the Billions

The most recent edition of the Congressional Pig Book, released by Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), has exposed a significant increase in earmark spending by U.S. lawmakers. This year’s report highlights $26.1 billion in pork-barrel projects for fiscal year 2024, showing a considerable rise from the previous year​.

Earmarks, often known as “pork,” are funds set aside by Congress for specific projects, typically benefiting a legislator’s local constituents.

Current Event: 2024 Pig Book Press Conference! pic.com/rGXS1l3SNh

— Citizens Against Government Waste (@GovWaste) June 12, 2024

This practice has faced criticism for encouraging wasteful spending and being a tool for political favoritism. The report highlights a 43.9% increase in the number of earmarks compared to the previous fiscal year, reflecting a broader trend of rising earmark allocations​.

The 2024 Pig Book points out that a small group of influential legislators on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees are responsible for a disproportionate amount of these earmarks.

The 2024 Congressional Pig Book reveals 8,222 earmarks totaling $22.7 billion.

Earmarks are considered the most expensive, corrupt, and unfair practice in Congress’s history.https://t.co/fpDlLhjoqR

— Citizens Against Government Waste (@GovWaste) June 12, 2024

For example, Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Susan Collins (R-Maine) leads the list with 231 earmarks totaling $575.6 million. Other major recipients include Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Angus King (I-Maine), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who collectively received over $2.3 billion in earmarks​.

This year’s Pig Book also highlights the lack of transparency in the earmark process. Over one-third of the earmark spending, totaling $8.2 billion, was approved without attribution, meaning no specific lawmakers were named as sponsors of these projects. This lack of transparency complicates efforts to hold legislators accountable for their spending decisions​.

Critics argue that earmarks contribute to government waste and corruption, citing past scandals that led to a moratorium on earmarks from 2011 to 2021. Despite the moratorium, earmark spending has returned strongly, with the current total being the highest since fiscal year 2010​.

CAGW President Tom Schatz stressed that the continued growth in earmark spending underscores the need for a permanent ban to prevent the recurrence of wasteful and corrupt practices in Congress. The report acts as a call to promote fiscal responsibility and transparency in government spending​.