WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott led Senators Mike Lee and Ron Johnson in a resolution opposing the wasteful practice of earmarks in Congress, which have been abused by Democrats for years to include billions of taxpayer dollars in federal spending on thousands of liberal pet projects and special interest priorities. As the federal debt tops $38 trillion, Senator Scott has been fighting for fiscal sanity and a balanced budget, which means ensuring every single dollar the federal government spends provides a return for American taxpayers. Senator Scott has long opposed earmarks and has previously led a resolution to condemn wasteful spending and restore fiscal sanity to Washington.

Senator Rick Scott said, “Our nation is over $38 trillion in debt and running around $2 trillion annual deficits after years of Democrats’ wasteful spending and reckless, inflation-fueling policies – we cannot continue down their same path of spending America into oblivion. There’s good reason why earmarks were banned in government funding bills for years – they should be. Funneling money into pet projects and special interests, wasting millions of tax dollars on bridges to nowhere makes our debt out of control. It is our job as members of Congress to look at how every single dollar taxpayers send to the federal government and make sure it’s spent in THEIR best interests. They would be OUTRAGED to learn that billions are constantly spent on projects that provide zero return for them. We have to bring fiscal sanity to our nation, which means we have to stop politicians from using earmarks to put their own interests over the interest of Americans.”

Senator Mike Lee said, “Earmarks undermine transparency, accountability, and fiscal discipline. In light of the massive national debt, Congress should reject parochial projects and commit to a process that respects taxpayers by putting an end to reckless spending on earmarks.”

Senator Ron Johnson said, “As Senator Tom Coburn used to say, earmarks are the gateway drug to continued massive deficit spending and the mortgaging of our children’s future. Our nation is $38 trillion in debt — America cannot afford irresponsible spending habits. The root cause of so many of our problems is the size, scope, and cost of the federal government. Eliminating earmarks is a step in the right direction.”

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