Congressman Flake Blasts Spending in Labor-HHS Appropriations Bill

Congressman Flake Blasts Spending in Labor-HHS Appropriations Bill
Appropriators Falsely Claim the Bill is Without Earmarks

Washington, D.C. - Arizona Congressman Jeff Flake, who represents the state's Sixth District, today blasted spending projects in the Labor-HHS appropriations bill. Despite claims by the House Appropriations Committee, who assert that it has no earmarks, the bill contains many spending projects.

"If it looks like an earmark and it wastes like an earmark, then it must be an earmark," said Flake.

"It's ironic that, as Republicans are scrounging for votes on the deficit reduction bill, we're stuffing appropriations bills with pork."

The Labor-HHS appropriations bill contains earmarks like $2 million for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians for cultural and educational funding, $1.25 million for a Center of Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law at the University of Hawaii, $222,000 for facility renovations at the Gillis W. Long Hansen's Disease Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and $1.25 million for the Hawaiian Department of Education for school construction and renovation activities.

It also violates House rules against naming public works after sitting Members of Congress by renaming the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters as the Arlen Specter Headquarters and Emergency Operations Center and renaming the Center for Disease Control and Prevention communications center as the Thomas R. Harkin Global Communications Center.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/az06_flake/051117laborhhs.html