Washington, DC, May 24, 2006 -  Menomonee Falls Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner issued the following statement after voting against the fiscal year 2007 Agriculture Appropriations bill (HR 5384), which passed the House of Representatives last night:

“Yesterday’s vote is a disappointment to me and a disservice to the American taxpayers.  HR 5384 includes an estimated 400 earmarks that would increase the federal deficit by $435 million.

“The agricultural sector is essential to our nation’s economy, but I could not in good conscience vote for a bill that doles out millions of dollars for Members’ pet projects in a time of mounting federal deficits.  America’s farmers deserve a bill that meets our country’s real agricultural needs without picking the pockets of hardworking Wisconsinites to pay a combined $3 million for fungus research in Maine, mosquito trapping in Florida, and shell egg pasteurization in Michigan.  But perhaps the most telling example of ‘pork’ in this bill is the $387,000 dished out to the National Swine Research Center in Iowa.

“Irresponsible spending increases the federal deficit and shifts the financial burden on to future generations.  This is precisely the reason I support earmark reform.  Congress cannot honestly say that it intends to balance the budget if its Members are not willing to rein in the ridiculous amount of pork barrel spending within bills like this.  I call upon my colleagues to exercise greater fiscal discipline in the remaining appropriations bills this year.”