Porker of the Month: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) has named Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) Porker of the months for her absurd claim that “paid leave, child care, and caregiving” are all “infrastructure.”  When President Joe Biden unveiled his $2.25 trillion American Jobs Plan, it was soon discovered that it was packed to the gills with hundreds of billions of dollars in spending unrelated to traditional infrastructure.   Many of the items are simply an expensive wish list of big-government Far-Left priorities that the country does not need and cannot afford.  But it did not take long for big-spending members of congress, including Sen. Gillibrand, to jump to the defense of this wasteful spending. Her April 7 tweet claiming that “paid leave, child care and caregiving” are all “infrastructure” was quickly mocked on social media.  For redefining infrastructure to include frivolous spending, Sen. Gillibrand is the May Porker of the Month.  Read more about the Porker of the Month.

CCAGW Releases Annual Congressional Ratings

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) has released its annual Congressional Ratings, identifying those members of Congress who vote in the interests of taxpayers and those who waste taxpayer dollars.  The latest edition of the Ratings examines 10 Senate and 35 House roll call votes related to tax, spending, transparency, and accountability measures.  There are 80 members of the House of Representatives and 16 Senators who earned the coveted title of Taxpayer Super Hero by achieving the highest possible score of 100 percent.  On the other end of the spectrum, 176 representatives and nine senators had a perfectly abysmal score of zero. CCAGW congratulates those members who stood by taxpayers and championed fiscal responsibility throughout the second session of the 116th Congress.  Find out how your members of Congress stack up.

CAGW Releases New Broadband Report

CAGW this month released a new Issue Brief, “The Folly of Government-Owned Networks.”  Co-authored by CAGW President Tom Schatz and Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs Deborah Collier, the report details how government-owned broadband internet networks are wasteful, anti-competitive, and costly for taxpayers.  As Congress considers whether to provide up to $100 billion for broadband as part of President Biden’s $4 trillion infrastructure package, the report argues that these funds should not be limited to a single technology like fiber or a single provider like government-owned networks.  The report also notes that tens of billions of dollars have already been allocated for broadband, which for some states is enough to reach all underserved areas, making any additional funding unnecessary and wasteful.  CAGW has sent the report to the media, all members of Congress and other public officials, and our supporters across the country.  Read CAGW’s latest Issue Brief.

CCAGW Launches Campaign to Stop Biden “Infrastructure” Scheme
CCAGW this month launched an Action Alert campaign targeting members of the Congress demanding they oppose President Joe Biden’s new radical and wasteful “infrastructure” package that would cost taxpayers $4 trillion.  If the package becomes law, it will stand as the largest expansion of the federal government’s size and power in American history.  The new spending would be paid for with a massive and devastating $4 trillion tax hike on American families as the nation continues to recover from the pandemic.  The Action Alert campaign has delivered more than 10,000 letters to House and Senate offices to date.  Tell your U.S. Senators and Representative to oppose Biden’s “infrastructure” plan.