(Washington, D.C.) – The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) unveiled a “Hurricane Katrina No Pork Pledge” alongside members of Congress at a press conference today.  By signing the pledge, members of Congress vow to oppose any project or provision that is not directly related to the impact of Hurricane Katrina in any supplemental appropriations bill that provides funds for hurricane relief.

CCAGW President Tom Schatz was joined by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD), Rep. Tom Feeney (R-Fla.), Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio), Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA), and Rep.  Patrick McHenry (R-NC).  Rep. Chris Chocola (R-Indiana) was unable to attend but has signed the pledge.  

“In the past, some members of Congress have shortchanged troops, disaster victims, and taxpayers by including self-serving pork projects in emergency spending bills,” Schatz said.  “Weighing down supplemental appropriations bills for Hurricane Katrina with egregious spending will hinder recovery efforts and add to the deficit.  By signing the pledge, members of Congress are making sure that every cent of recovery spending goes to the victims of this terrible tragedy.”

Every year, Citizens Against Government Waste releases its Congressional Pig Book, a compilation of all the pork-barrel projects in the federal budget.  The 2005 Pig Book identified 13,997 projects costing $27.3 billion. 

The pledge is available now on CCAGW’s web site.  For answers to further questions, please contact Tom Finnigan.  Office: 202-467-5309. Cell: 202-253-3852.  Email: media@cagw.org.

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, the nation’s largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.