Dr. Coburn recently received a requested report from the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General that contains the following astonishing findings. Read the full report by clicking here, and click here to read more about Dr. Coburn's amendments to the FY 2008 Transportation/HUD Appropriations bill.

REPORT FINDINGS - Brief Summary:

Earmarks in DOT have increased in number by 1,150 percent in 10 years (1996 – 2005), with the value of earmarks in the same timeframe jumping 314 percent.

Ninety-nine percent of earmarks (7,724 out of 7,760) were not subject to the transportation agencies’ review and selection processes or bypassed the states’ normal planning and programming processes.

Earmarks may not be the most effective or efficient use of funds. The IG report identifies five ways in which earmarks impact programs in the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, and the Federal Aviation Administration, as follows (see pages 11 – 14 of the full report):

Earmarks can reduce funding for the states’ core transportation programs.

Earmarks do not always coincide with DOT strategic research goals.

Many low priority, earmarked projects are being funded over higher priority, non-earmarked projects.

Earmarks provide funds for projects that would otherwise be ineligible.

Earmarks can disrupt the agency’s ability to fund programs as designated when authorized funding amounts are exceeded by “overearmarking.”

Click here to see a one-page table entitled "strategic earmarks?" which identifies a series of problematic earmarks mentioned in the report. To access the lists of specific earmarks identified in the table, browse by the type of earmark below.

FAA Congressional Earmarks 2006 - Air Traffic Control & Airport Improvement

FHWA National Corridor Infrastructure Improvement Program earmarks - 2006

FHWA Interstate Maintenance Discretionary Program earmarks - 2006

FTA National Research Program earmarks - 2006

FHWA Public Lands Highways Discretionary Program earmarks - 2006

FHWA Projects of Regional and National Significance earmarks - 2006

FTA Bus & Bus Facility earmarks - 2006