Bridge to Nowhere May Have Been Killed, But Many Other Wasteful Pork Projects Live On

Press Release

Republican Congressman Jeff Flake, who represents Arizona's Sixth District, today chided Congress for moving ahead with legislation to transfer $8 billion from the general fund to the Highway Trust Fund.

SAFETEA-LU, the most recent transportation bill, contained over 6,000 earmarks totaling over $24 billion. With elevated gas prices causing decreased demand, fuel tax revenue to the Highway Trust Fund will not cover all of the earmarks that Congress stuffed into the bill. Rather than rescinding earmarks, Congress is moving ahead on a plan to transfer $8 billion from the general fund to pay for all of the pork.

"While the Bridge to Nowhere got most of the attention, it was far from the only boondoggle in the transportation bill," said Flake. "Instead of cutting the projects Congress doesn't have money to pay for, we're casting fiscal responsibility aside and taking money from the general fund to pay for our pork."

Congressman Flake has authored the ROAD Act (H.R. 6534), which would help bridge the Highway Trust Fund shortfall by rescinding unspent earmark funds within SAFETEA-LU.

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