NEW VIDEO: Congressman Blunt Maintaining Secrecy around His “Prodigious Pork-Meister” Career August 04th 2010
Congressman Blunt has become infamous for his ties to corporate special interests and his record of doling out pork-barrel projects; named one of the “crooked candidates” from watchdog group
A new video out today details Congressman Blunt’s 14-year Washington record of waste, corruption, and sticking it to the middle class as he keeps Missouri voters in the dark about his extensive history of pork-barrel spending. The new video highlights Congressman Blunt’s Washington insider status as he defies calls to disclose all his earmark requests and his ties to the very worst of Washington.
Congressman Blunt has repeatedly dodged responsibility for the massive deficit he helped create and has avoided explaining his role in the earmarks explosion that took place during his time in Congressional leadership. In addition, a recent report from independent watchdog group CREW (Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Washington) found Congressman Blunt to be a “crooked candidate” because of “a variety of issues including employing the same corrupt tactics that forced his mentor, former Texas Rep. Tom DeLay, to resign.” [CREW Release, 7/20/10]
Under Congressman Blunt’s watch in Washington:
• Earmarks increased 7-fold, costing taxpayers $225 billion
• The national surplus of $228 billion became a $1.2 trillion deficit
• Went from 1,200 earmarks a year to 12,000 earmarks a year
“It is time for Congressman Blunt to step out of the smoke-filled Washington rooms and disclose all of his earmark requests,” said Linden Zakula a campaign spokesman. “If Congressman Blunt has really been fighting for Missourians like he claims, then why would he be hiding which taxpayer-funded projects he tried to pass?”
Robin has been traveling across Missouri talking about her plan for cracking down on wasteful spending and calling for a ban on all earmarks to finally put an end to this corrupt and abused system. Robin believes it’s time for accountability and transparency in government, and has released her plan for ending the lobbyist access and backroom deals in Washington.
REVEALED: CONGRESSMAN BLUNT’S RECORD OF WASTE, CORRUPTION & STICKING IT TO THE MIDDLE CLASS
• Providence Journal: “Prodigious Pork-Meister”: A 2006 editorial in the Providence Journal called Blunt a “prodigious pork-meister.” [Providence Journal, 2/6/06]
• Oversaw Explosion in the Number and Cost of Earmarks:The number of pork barrel spending projects increased seven-fold during Congressman Blunt’s tenure in Washington – from just 1,596 earmarks when he went to Congress in 1997 to nearly 12,000 in 2008. These earmarks cost taxpayers over $228 billion. [Citizens Against Government Waste, Annual Pig Book]
• No Response to Robin’s Challenge to Release Earmark Requests: In a speech laying out her plan to crack down on wasteful spending, Carnahan called on Congressman Blunt to release all of the earmarks he has ever requested during his 14 years in Washington. Carnahan said that “Missourians shouldn’t have to beg” to see how he’s been wanting to spend our tax dollars and highlighted Blunt’s record of wasteful spending, which includes “turning a $128 billion surplus into a $1.2 trillion deficit, pushing through the $700 billion Wall Street bailout, increasing earmarks by 7 fold, costing taxpayers $225 billion, and refusing to release earmark requests during his time in Congress.” [Press release, 5/18/10]
• Refused to Release Earmark Requests to the Press & Missed Disclosure Deadline: In 2007, according to Gannett News Service, Blunt declined to release his requests for federal funding “despite new rules designed to bring openness to the process.” Even as late as 2009, Taxpayers for Common Sense exposed Blunt as one of the lawmakers who had failed to disclose their earmark requests as requested by the House and Senate appropriations committees. He finally complied with the rules in 2009. [Gannett News Service, 5/3/07; Huffington Post, 4/7/09]
• Exploding Deficits – Blunt Turned $128 Billion Surplus into $1.2 Trillion Deficit:The Bush-Blunt team inherited budget surplus of $128 billion in 2001 but proceeded to post deficits every single year after that. As a result, by the time Bush left office in 2009, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated a deficit of $1.2 trillion. [CBO; CNN, 1/28/09; New York Times, 8/25/09]
• January 2006: Report Called Blunt “Unfit to Lead” Because of Ties to Special Interests.In January 2006, Public Citizen released a report titled “Rep. Roy Blunt: Ties to Special Interests Leave Him Unfit to Lead.” According to the report: “Blunt has exchanged favors with special interests, relied heavily on the unsavory fundraising apparatus of indicted Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), and passionately embraced the corrupted culture of the Washington, D.C. lobbying world, including cozying up to super- lobbyist turned admitted felon Jack Abramoff.” [Public Citizen, January 2006]
