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For Immediate Release Daytime contact: Alexa Moutevelis 202-467-5318
August 30, 2006 After hours contact: Tom Finnigan 202-253-3852
Update, September 1: "King of Pork" Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) also admitted to placing a hold on the legislation, but announced he was lifting it after examining the bill.
CAGW: Sen. Stevens as ‘Secret Holder’ No Surprise
Washington, D.C. - Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today celebrated the end of a political whodunit with the revelation that it was Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) who placed a hold on the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (S. 2590).
The bipartisan legislation, introduced by Sens. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.), will establish a public database for $800 billion worth of federal grants and contracts. An anonymous hold had been placed on the legislation, preventing it from moving forward. Grassroots pressure from a coalition of groups and bloggers from across the political spectrum prompted Sen. Stevens to confirm, through a spokesperson, that he is the one blocking the bill.
“This comes as no surprise as Sen. Stevens is the top porker in Congress,” CAGW President Tom Schatz said. “He was always a logical suspect.”
Since 1999, the Alaska delegation has brought home more than $3 billion in federal pork, thanks mostly to former Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Stevens. The state has ranked number one in pork per capita since CAGW began calculating the statistic in 2000, pulling in $489.87 worth of pork per resident in 2006. In December 2003, The Los Angeles Times revealed how Sen. Stevens made millions of dollars from investments with businessmen who received government contracts or other aid through his legislative efforts.
Dr. Coburn is one of the Senate’s biggest pork foes; he even tried to de-fund Alaska’s infamous “bridges to nowhere.” Sen. Stevens is known for using his powerful position to reward supporters and retaliate against enemies.
Sen. Stevens’ spokesperson told CNN that the senator has concerns over the bureaucratic implications of the bill and would like a cost-benefit analysis to be done, but the Congressional Budget Office already completed a cost estimate several weeks ago. Schatz responded, “Sen. Stevens worried about increased spending? When pigs fly! Personal vendettas should not interfere with crucial reforms to make government more transparent and accountable. When Congress reconvenes, bringing S. 2590 to the floor should be a top priority for Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist.”
Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, mismanagement and abuse in government.
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