The Congressional Pig Book is CAGW's annual compilation of the pork-barrel projects in the federal budget. The 2009 Pig Book identified 10,160 projects at a cost of $19.6 billion in the 12 Appropriations Acts for fiscal 2009. A "pork" project is a line-item in an appropriations bill that designates tax dollars for a specific purpose in circumvention of established budgetary procedures. To qualify as pork, a project must meet one of seven criteria that were developed in 1991 by CAGW and the Congressional Porkbusters Coalition.

C-SPAN, Capitol Hill

Pig Book 2009 Database

Recipients of CAGW's "Oinker" Awards, which recognize the worst of the worst in this year's Pig Book; and find out your state’s ranking in our breakdown of pork per capita by state.

Citizens Against Government Waste is the nation's largest taxpayer watchdog group with more than one million members and supporters nationwide. It is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government. Contributions to CAGW are tax-deductible as charitable contributions to the extent permitted by law.. For more information about CAGW.

Earmark Reform Pledge

Tell Congress: Sign the Earmark Reform Pledge!

The ink was barely dry on the “New Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007” when House and Senate leaders began looking for ways to circumvent or obstruct its earmark disclosure rules. CCAGW’s Earmark Reform Pledge aims to commit lawmakers to providing taxpayers with greater transparency and accountability for earmarks.

By signing the pledge, members of Congress agree to 10 provisions, including that they will:

*fully disclose all earmarked funding or targeted tax benefit requests on their congressional websites;
*not request any earmarked funding or targeted tax benefit provision that does not serve a federal interest and/or have a federal nexus;
*not request any earmarked funding or targeted tax benefit provision that would be directed toward a specific private entity that was not requested by an agency; and,
*support legislation that would end the linkage between campaign contributions and earmarks.

Senate Earmark Pledge
House Earmark Pledge

From 1995 to 2005, the number of appropriations earmarks grew nearly tenfold, from 1,439 to 13,997. It’s no coincidence that the proliferation of earmarks has corresponded with the debasement of the budgetary process in Washington. As the examples of former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-Calif.) and Jack Abramoff illustrate, lawmakers and lobbyists trade in earmarks as their “currency of corruption.” If House and Senate leaders are truly committed to overseeing “the most ethical Congress in history,” they should be making it easier, not more difficult, to follow the money trail.

Please tell your Representative and Senators today to sign CCAGW's Earmark Reform Pledge!

Current signatories as of 12/08:

Senators Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.)

Reps. Paul Broun (R-Ga.), John Campbell (R-Calif.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), Lynn Jenkins (R-Kansas), Leonard Lance (R-N.J.), Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), Tom Price (R-Ga.), Thomas Rooney (R-Fla.), Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.), and John Shadegg (R-Ariz.).

State Piglets

Pork Barrell Trends

All About Pork: The Abuse of Earmarks and the Needed Reforms
By: Tom Finnigan, Updated March 7, 2007