Republicans lead in 'pork' spending, watchdog group says

WASHINGTON - Republicans in Congress, trying to appear tightfisted with taxpayer dollars this election year, found yesterday that some in their ranks led a list of "pork" spenders in a watchdog group's analysis of government waste.

The annual survey by Citizens Against Government Waste contends that 11,610 special-interest projects were stuffed into spending bills approved by the Democratic-led Congress last year at a $17.2 billion cost to taxpayers.

But according to the survey, individual Republicans pushed the most pork last year. In addition, the three House Republicans sponsoring legislation calling for a moratorium all engaged in the practice, the report said.

For months, House Republican leader John Boehner has been leading a crusade against such projects, known as earmarks, which benefit lawmakers' districts. Boehner, of Ohio, has called for suspending pork spending and has criticized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, for not yet agreeing to do so.

Republicans have attacked Democratic Representative John Murtha for delivering a pile of special-interest funds to his western Pennsylvania district.

According to the report, however, two House Republicans bested Murtha: Roger Wicker of Mississippi, who recently became a senator, and Representative Bill Young of Florida. The two scored $176.3 million and $169.5 million in earmarks respectively, beating Murtha's $159.1 million.

In the Senate, the top three big spenders were Republicans, who together scored about $1.8 billion in home-state projects. Those senators were Thad Cochran, the senior Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Richard Shelby of Alabama, and Ted Stevens of Alaska, who was roundly criticized a few years back for winning approval of a "bridge to nowhere" and has been reported to be the target of a federal corruption probe.

All the top spenders are members of the House and Senate Appropriations committees, which dole out federal dollars.

Opponents of the special-interest projects argue that they do not receive adequate oversight.

Among the pork outlined in the group's report was $188,000 by Maine's Republican senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and Democratic Representative Thomas Allen to help the Lobster Institute, which the report said is working on a "Lobster Cam" and developing lobster dog biscuits.