The $140 billion omnibus spending bill passed by Congress yesterday is being criticized for funding lawmakers’ pet projects the New York Times reports. Yesterday Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) issued a statement celebrating the inclusion of $30 million in projects for his rural district.
The largest item on his list is $17 million to begin the construction of a new Soo Lock, a project that has been criticized as redundant and wasteful by the bi-national environmental group Great Lakes United.
A few other items on the list may raise eyebrows among pork watchers:
$977,000 for the U.S. Department of Education’s Olympic Scholarship program. Northern Michigan University is one of four universities to receive funding through the program, which has existed since 1992 to assist Olympic athletes attain a college education.
A founder and co-chairman of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, Stupak secured $500,000 for the National Law Enforcement Memorial. Funding would be used to relocate numerous major utility lines and make site improvements to allow for the construction of the National Law Enforcement Officers Museum in Washington, DC.
$475,000 for Pellston Airport to replace an aircraft rescue and firefighting equipment storage building and a snow removal equipment
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