Tea Party Caucus Takes $1 Billion In Earmarks

[cali]

By Reid Wilson
December 2, 2010 | 4:30 AM
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Members of the Congressional Tea Party Caucus may tout their commitment to cutting government spending now, but they used the 111th Congress to request hundreds of earmarks that, taken cumulatively, added more than $1 billion to the federal budget.

According to a Hotline review of records compiled by Citizens Against Government Waste, the 52 members of the caucus, which pledges to cut spending and reduce the size of government, requested a total of 764 earmarks valued at $1,049,783,150 during Fiscal Year 2010, the last year for which records are available.

"It's disturbing to see the Tea Party Caucus requested that much in earmarks. This is their time to put up or shut up, to be blunt," said David Williams, vice president for policy at Citizens Against Government Waste. "There's going to be a huge backlash if they continue to request earmarks."

In founding the caucus in July, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) said she was giving voice to Americans who were sick of government over-spending.

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http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/12/tea-party-caucu.php

[and-justice-for-all]

1. And the brown shirts march forth..nt

[Drale]

2. and this surprises anyone in anyway?

We all knew the minute the tea baggers got elected they would start taking as much money as then could.

[Waiting For Everyman]

3. Before anything's cut, it should be demanded they put it back.

I'd like that to be asked of all of them one by one on the record, please. :popcorn:

[Kennah]

4. True but ...

... a billion dollars doesn't rent as many John Waters films as it used to.

[Lucinda]

5. I'd LOVE to see a list of what they wanted n/t