Americans for Prosperity applauds Rep. Todd Tiahrt and Rep. Jerry Moran for standing on principle for taxpayers and against wasteful spending by voting against the Farm Bill. Rep. Tiahrt correctly pointed out how fiscally irresponsible the bill was. Many last-minute, wasteful provisions were included that do nothing for America’s food producers. In fact, the final price tag for this Farm Bill, in which members of Congress helped themselves more than actual farmers, was $18 billion above the budget baseline.  

One of the most wasteful provisions in this bill was a $170 million giveaway to the salmon industry, secreted into the bill at the last minute by Speaker Nancy Pelosi. And Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) couldn't resist using tax dollars to help the Plum Creek Timber Company in Montana sell a parcel of land to the Nature Conservancy.

Kansas taxpayers should be thankful for Rep. Tiahrt’s and Rep. Moran’s vote against these and other wasteful uses of tax dollars in the Farm Bill. By voting against this bill they took a strong stand for transparency and fiscal discipline. Rather than selling out the farm to special interests, Tiahrt and Moran stood up for taxpayers and farmers by opposing this legislation. It is unfortunate that many in Congress have forgotten the ‘farm’ in the Farm Bill.

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More Earmarks:

From a Hill source, this is a list of more specific earmarkts that have been stuck into the Farm Bill that the U.S. House is scheduled to consider on Wednesday. Let's start digging, Porkbusters ...

• Baucus National Sheep and Goat Industry Improvement Center, $1 million
• Baucus Appropriate Technology Transfer to Rural Areas authorized for appropriation
• Bacaus Camelina Pilot Program, $9 million
• Baucus Bonds Earmark
• Biden Chesapeake Bay Watershed Conservation Program, $382 million
• Cardin Chesapeake Bay Watershed Conservation Program, $382 million
• Casey Chesapeake Bay Watershed Conservation Program, $382 million
• Chambliss Cost Share Assistance for Wildlife Corridors, up to $100 million
• Cochran Natural Products Research Laboratory authorized for appropriation
• Conrad Grants to Broadcasting Systems authorized for appropriation
• Harkin Congressional Hunger Center authorized for appropriation
• Harkin Appropriate Technology Transfer to Rural Areas authorized for appropriation
• Harkin Policy Research Centers authorized for appropriation
• Hinojosa Housing Assistance Council authorized for appropriation
• Inouye Insular Pacific Sun Grant Sub-Center authorized for appropriation
• Inouye Education Grants to Alaska Native Serving Institutions and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions authorized for appropriation
• Kohl Housing Assistance Council authorized for appropriation
• Nelson Drought Mitigation Center/University of Nebraska
• Reid Desert Terminal Lakes/Nevada, $175 million for FY 08-12
• Roberts Consortium for Agricultural for Agricultural Soils Mitigation for Greenhouse Gases/Kansas State University authorized for appropriation
• Stevens Education Grants to Alaska Native Serving Institutions and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions authorized for appropriation
• Stevens Water Systems for Rural and Native Villages in Alaska authorized for appropriation