House Defense Pork

Here's the latest analysis from Citizens Against Government Waste. John "I Love Pork" Murtha was one of the big recipients.

Pork Alert: House Defense

(Washington, D.C.) - Citizens Against Government Waste today released its preliminary analysis of the fiscal year 2010 Department of Defense Appropriations Act. In this year’s version, there are 1,098 projects worth $3.3 billion. Some of the biggest porkers were House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Bill Young (R-Fla.) with 36 projects worth $101,600,000 and Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha (D-Pa.) with 23 projects worth $90,000,000.

Here are a few examples:

• $560,000,000 (anonymously) for the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) alternate engine program. Even though President Obama said he would veto any legislation containing such funding and the Pentagon has refused to request money for it, the earmark still found its way into the bill. According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), funding the unwanted, unnecessary alternate engine for the JSF would cost at least $7.2 billion, equal to the cost of 53 planes. The money was added despite two votes in the Senate on the fiscal year 2010 Defense Authorization Act on July 23, 2009 to eliminate funding for the alternate engine.
  
• $26,200,000 divided among 19 members for 10 counter-drug projects, including military support to drug law enforcement and training programs. A March 1, 2004 GAO report said, “Over 50 federal agencies are involved in carrying out the National Drug Control Strategy at an annual cost of about $12 billion. Despite this investment, the demand for and supply of illegal drugs have persisted at very high levels.”
  
• $7,400,000 by Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) for the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the Senate. According to Fox News, “More than one out of every five dollars of the $126 million Massachusetts is receiving in earmarks from a $410 billion federal spending package is going to help preserve the legacy of the Kennedys.” This project already received $12,602,000 from the fiscal 2010 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, and should not be part of the defense bill.
  
• $2,200,000 by House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha (D-Pa.) for KDH Defense Systems, Inc. for Body Armor Improved Ballistic Protection, Research and Development. On July 7, 2009, Roll Call reported that, “KDH was ‘teamed with’ two other Pennsylvania companies with close connections to Murtha, Kuchera Defense Systems and Coherent Systems International.” Kuchera and Coherent have both received millions in earmarks from Rep. Murtha, and Kuchera was raided on January 22, 2009 by the FBI as part of a fraud investigation.

The corruption needs to end!!!

Someone pass me a Xanax. I can't deal with this!