January 10, 2017 Wastebook, Earmarks, and Congress’ Power of the Purse
U.S. Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) will unveil the latest edition of Wastebook, an annual report begun by former Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) detailing some of the outrageous ways Washington is wasting taxpayer money. Among the fifty examples of egregious federal spending uncovered in Flake’s 2017 report are a program that accepts peanuts for loan repayments, a computer that binge-watches Desperate Housewives, and a study into what happens when you put a fish on a treadmill.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
10:00 am - 11:00 am
The Heritage Foundation
Lehrman Auditorium
Hosted By
More About the Event
Senator Flake is also set to reintroduce a Senate rule to renew the moratorium on congressional earmarks and will explain that the true intent the framers of the Constitution had in giving Congress the power of the purse was not for earmarking but rather to stop waste, fraud, and abuse. With the national debt soon expected to top $20 trillion, he will make the case for restoring this original intent and offer Wastebook as an index to begin reducing unnecessary spending.
BACKGROUNDER 30 min read
COMMENTARY 2 min read
REPORT 10 min read
