Porker of the Month:  Rep. Peter DeFazio

Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) has named House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman  Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) Porker of the Month for introducing the wasteful and earmark-loaded INVEST in America Act.  Rep. DeFazio led the effort to pass this exorbitantly expensive $715 billion transportation bill, in which less than half of the money allocated is for traditional infrastructure.  The bill contains 1,473 earmarks costing taxpayers $5.66 billion, with Democrats receiving more than twice as much money as Republicans.  Earmarks include bicycle paths, sidewalks, and beautification projects that primarily benefit local, parochial interests at the expense of all American taxpayers.  Rep. DeFazio’s bill even includes Green New Deal policies, even though they have no place in an infrastructure bill. For trying to drive spending off the rails with billions of dollars in new wasteful spending, Rep. DeFazio is the July Porker of the Month.  Read more about the Porker of the Month.

CAGW Hosts Conversation with Sen. James Lankford

On July 20, CAGW President Tom Schatz hosted a conversation with Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) on Facebook Live.  Sen. Lankford has served as the junior senator from Oklahoma since 2015.  He previously served as a member of the House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015.  He currently sits on the Finance, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Energy and Natural Resources, and Indian Affairs Committees, and serves as Vice Chairman of the Select Committee on Ethics.  Tom and Sen. Lankford discussed the federal budget, government waste, infrastructure funding, and the return of congressional earmarks.  Watch the conversation on CAGW’s Facebook page.

CCAGW Launches Campaign to Cut Government Spending

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) this month launched a new Action Alert campaign to demand that significant spending cuts are tied to any increase in the national debt limit.  After decades of wasteful and reckless spending, America’s national debt stands at $28.5 trillion. Congress is discussing raising the debt limit to allow even more spending to occur.  This presents a prime opportunity for taxpayers to demand that Congress tie any increase in the national debt to cuts in wasteful spending.  The campaign, which targets representatives and senators, has delivered more than 15,000 letters to congressional offices in the past week.  Tell your member of Congress that any increase in the debt limit must be tied to significant spending cuts.

From “The WasteWatcher” …

One of the major priorities for the labor unions that supported Joe Biden for President is the enactment of the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO Act), explains CAGW State Government Affairs Associate Frances Floresca in “The WasteWatcher,” CAGW’s staff blog.  The PRO Act is based on California’s restrictive  AB 5 law, which forced many independent contractors to be considered employees.  The PRO Act would turn AB 5 into federal law.  The bill would also overturn right-to-work laws in the 27 states that allow employees to choose for themselves whether to join a union, and force workers to pay for labor union dues. The PRO Act would violate employee privacy by forcing employers to hand over employee’s personal information to union organizers without their consent, including addresses and phone numbers, potentially allowing intimidation and harassment. The PRO Act would do significant damage to the economy and threaten the jobs and livelihoods of workers if the bill was enacted. While the economy continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress should not be increasing the burdens on American workers and businesses.  Read more in “The WasteWatcher.”