Last week, voters told Congress it's time to change the culture in Washington, D.C.  Earmark reform was a significant issue in that election.  Yet a week later, the Senate is considering a bill stuffed with hundreds of earmarks costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

The American people want the "earmark favor factory" shut down, not turned over to new management.

Dr. Coburn has filed several amendments dealing with the numerous earmarks in the Agriculture Appropriations bill including:

• The World Food Prize earmark
• Population Management Center earmark
• Alternative Salmon Products earmark
• New York Goose Control earmark
• National Wild Turkey Federation earmark
• Lettuce Geneticist/Breeder earmark
• Seafood Waste earmark
• Planning and Design of West Virginia Biotech Laboratory earmark
• Montana Sheep Institute earmark
• Hawaii Termite earmark
• Golf Course Loans

Many taxpayers likely were appalled by attempts to add nearly $5 billion in new spending to the military construction bill that had nothing to do with our military.  And attempts to add new emergency agriculture spending has nothing to do with helping farmers and everything to do with helping politicians.  If we were serious, we would be having an honest discussion about the failures of crop insurance, the need to open new international markets to American farm products, and the future of the family farm.

Earmarks are draining are draining resources from more important priorities.  Earmarks also siphon away funding from programs that directly assist family farmers and others to reward those who are well connected.