Congressman Russell Targets $20 million in Wasteful Government Spending with the End NHA Earmarking Act

Press Release

On Tuesday, Congressman Steve Russell (OK05) introduced H.R. 4746, the End NHA Earmarking Act, as he continues to attack waste in the federal budget. H.R. 4746 will block any new federal funds from being appropriated for the National Heritage Partnership Program. The National Heritage Areas (NHAs) are large segments of the country that are generally not federally owned, but receive numerous grants that are not available to the rest of the country. NHAs have been arbitrarily designated by Congress over the last 30 years in a variety of standalone and omnibus bills. While funds already appropriated are exempt, this bill will save about $20 million a year by allowing the National Park Service (NPS) to use these funds for higher priorities. NPS already has petitioned Congress to cut funding for NHAs by at least half, stating it needs to focus on other activities that align more closely with its core mission.

Congressman Russell, author of the Waste Watch series, addressed the National Heritage Program:

"This program is not about preserving history, but rather has become an "earmark' in a Trojan Horse. The National Park Service has begged Congress to fund vital historic sites only to have them decay further while needed funds have been funneled to useless projects. In one year, the NPS was forced to spend nearly $20 million of needed funds on these historic earmarks, while the Lincoln Memorial renovation was only saved by an $18 million gift from a generous philanthropist. As someone with a Master's in History, and with a love for preserving our American heritage, it is past time to expose the NHA program for what it is and drag the Trojan Hose outside our fiscal gates."

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