Cliff Stearns: “Today I am joining over 30 of my colleagues in introducing legislation to repeal $33 million in wasteful spending that…”

“Today I am joining over 30 of my colleagues in introducing legislation to repeal $33 million in wasteful spending that was included in an emergency spending bill to help victims of the recent California earthquake. What happened here is proof positive of why the American people hold Congress in such low esteem. We were told by the House leadership that this funding bill would go to help the needy victims of the devastating earthquake in California. It appears, however, that some of the aftershocks were felt in West Virginia, New York City, South Carolina, and Hawaii. I am talking about the unauthorized $20 million for an FBI fingerprint facility in West Virginia. I am talking about $1 rac{1}{2} million to secure a commercial ship for a museum in South Carolina. I am talking about $10 million to redesign a post office in New York City. I am talking about $1.3 million for sugarcane mill communities in Hawaii. What does any of this have to do with earthquake relief? The legislation we are introducing today seeks to repeal this unauthorized, pork-barrel spending that had no business being included in the earthquake relief bill. Sooner or later, Members of Congress will feel the aftershocks of the voters if they keep spending our way into a fiscal disaster.”