As Congress prepared to slink into their smoke-filled backrooms to craft the next federal budget, President Biden made it clear that his old-timey ways meant that the era of wasteful earmarks and pork-barrel spending was back. And despite Democrats and some Republicans packing on millions of dollars of taxpayer money in spending for their pet projects in their home districts, the flagship morning and evening newscasts of ABC, CBS, and NBC were uninterested in the smell of cooking pork.
Instead of reporting on the wasteful pork spending of Congress, all of the networks covered the descent of a Chinese rocket that was falling to Earth. ABC’s World News Tonight also reported on the coming emergence of a brood of cicadas. And NBC Nightly News talked about surprise fees for summer vacation. A prime example of their lack of allegiance to their audiences.
As usual, Fox News Channel was on the case Thursday. “Earmarks are back in Congress and that means politicians are competing for your tax dollars to spend in their districts on all kinds of projects,” Special Report anchor Bret Baier announced at the top of the segment.
Following a soundbite of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) saying she’s “very proud” of what they had going on, correspondent Hillary Vaughn noted the weak oversight measures that were in place.
“House Democrats want to win over taxpayers that have been turned off by fatty pork-barrel spending in budget bills of the past. Lawmakers have to post their projects to their website and the Government Accountability Office is in charge of oversight,” she said.
From there, Vaughn read off a laundry list of ridiculous requests from Democrats accompanied by a picture of the requester, their names, and states, including hundreds of thousands of dollars for toilets:
Some of the projects requested though are already raising eyebrows. Almost half a million dollars for toilets on a hiking trail requested in Texas and a yoga program in New Jersey. More than $6 million for a Gandhi museum. 2 million to remodel planned parenthood facilities. Money for a gender discrimination and cultural bias program in New York. And an equity and inclusion program at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.
“It's not just Democrats though that are cashing in, Republicans are, too. A million dollars for a trolley in New York and 18 million wanted for a fire station in Alaska,” she added.
Vaughn recalled that the “rules” said “lawmakers can't benefit financially,” but deduced “that doesn't mean they can't try to benefit politically.” As evidence, she cited that nearly all of the Democrats in seats Republicans thought were vulnerable in 2022 had submitted pork-barrel spending requests, while “16 Republicans from the DCCC’s list are trying to bring some of that bacon home.”
“In 2010, under president Obama earmarks were out. Today, under President Biden they're back,” she reminded viewers. “Today, under President Biden they're back.”
In her conclusion, Vaughn cautioned that “Earmarks making a comeback could be a win for Democratic districts if Republicans that have protested them in the past do not get on board and all Democratic projects get approved.”
This refusal to cover the return of pork-barrel spending was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Fisher Investments on ABC, Liberty Mutual on CBS, and Progressive on NBC. Their contact information is linked so you can tell them about the biased news they fund.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
Fox News Channel’s Special Report
May 6, 2021
6:25:50 p.m. EasternBRET BAIER: Earmarks are back in Congress and that means politicians are competing for your tax dollars to spend in their districts on all kinds of projects. Fox Business correspondent Hillary Vaughn takes a look tonight from Capitol Hill.
[Cuts to video]
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: We can't afford what are called earmarks.
HILLARY VAUGHN: In 2010, under president Obama earmarks were out. Today, under President Biden they're back.
SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): You have to show what your project is. It's not just well slip it in. [Transition] I'm very proud of it.
VAUGHN: House Democrats want to win over taxpayers that have been turned off by fatty pork-barrel spending in budget bills of the past. Lawmakers have to post their projects to their website and the Government Accountability Office is in charge of oversight.
CHRIS STEWART (R-UT, House Budget Committee): Wasteful spend something wasteful spending whether it's coming from a Republican or from a Democrat.
VAUGHN: Some of the projects requested though are already raising eyebrows. Almost half a million dollars for toilets on a hiking trail requested in Texas and a yoga program in New Jersey. More than $6 million for a Gandhi museum. 2 million to remodel planned parenthood facilities. Money for a gender discrimination and cultural bias program in New York. And an equity and inclusion program at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.
It's not just Democrats though that are cashing in, Republicans are, too. A million dollars for a trolley in New York and 18 million wanted for a fire station in Alaska.
KEVIN BRADY (R-TX, House Ways & Means Committee): Let's not paint them all with the same brush. I think there are differences.
VAUGHN: There are rules on what projects get approved. Lawmakers can't benefit financially. But that doesn't mean they can't try to benefit politically. All of the House Democrats but one on the NRCC midterm's target list filed requests and 16 Republicans from the DCCC’s list are trying to bring some of that bacon home.
(…)
[Cuts back to live]
VAUGHN: Earmarks making a comeback could be a win for Democratic districts if Republicans that have protested them in the past do not get on board and all Democratic projects get approved. But, the pork is proving to be tempting for at least a small sliver of Senate Republicans, six GOP senators told Politico they are planning to submit earmarks of their own and 10 other Republican senators say they’re still chewing it over. Bret
BAIER: We'll keep track of it. Hillary, thank you.
