Search Documents and Resources

  • Ethics
  • Border Wall
  • Executive Branch
  • More Topics
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
Project On Government Oversight
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
Waste

Those Porky Pentagon Earmarks Never Really Went Away

All this is not illegal, but according to common English, it is venal.

By Winslow Wheeler | Filed under analysis | January 14, 2019

Illustration by POGO.

This piece originally appeared on The American Conservative.

In past years, Congress has become notorious for adding dubious items we call “pork” to spending bills. That way, senators and House members can advertise themselves to their constituents as bringing home the bacon, while picking up a few campaign contributions from thankful contractors along the way.

This practice was particularly notorious in defense bills, especially, and only became worse during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. After they were exposed spending billions of taxpayer dollars for earmarked projects like museums, artificial lungs, and VIP air transports for senior generals, bureaucrats, and lawmakers, Congress supposedly reformed the practice of earmarking—first in 2007 by the Democrats in the majority, and again in 2011 by the Republicans in the majority, who claimed to have banned them altogether.

In truth, both parties in Congress have simply swapped the pork system for a scheme that is even more venal and underhanded. They’ve circumvented their own rules and are putting even more pork in defense bills than before. They hypocritically proclaim that their bills are earmark-free, while simultaneously boasting about the pork to constituents. They deceptively pay for the hidden earmarks by raiding essential accounts for soldiers’ pay and military readiness, and they readily accept hundreds of thousands of dollars in political contributions from the very contractors who received huge chunks of the billions of dollars that Congress added.

Keep reading on The American Conservative.

Center for Defense Information

The Center for Defense Information at POGO aims to secure far more effective and ethical military forces at significantly lower cost.

Help us hold the government accountable.

POGO will continue to devote itself to rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse of power at even the highest levels of government. Give now to support our investigations.

Donation Options

  • $35
  • $50
  • $100
  • $500
  • Other

Author

  • Author

    Winslow Wheeler

    At the time of publication Mr. Wheeler's was the director of the Straus Military Reform Project of the Center For Defense Information at POGO.

Related Tags

    Waste National Security Pentagon Budget Earmarks Pentagon Revolving Door Legalized Corruption Federal Contracting

Related Content

  • Waste

    F-35 Program Cutting Corners to “Complete” Development

  • Oversight

    PODCAST: F-35 Program Cutting Corners to “Complete” Development

  • Waste

    Pentagon Needs Better System to Track Fraudulent Spending

  • Accountability

    The U.S. Navy's Titanium “Tin Can”

Site Footer

  • Press Center
  • Contact Us
  • Careers
  • Training
  • Newsletters & Publications
  • Take Action
  • Report Corruption
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity Great Nonprofits 2018 Top-Rated Charity Navigator Four-Star Charity

©2019 POGO | Privacy Policy

Project On Government Oversight logo

Project On Government Oversight