HR 4553 – Energy and Water Appropriations Chock Full of Subsidies, Give-aways and Earmarks: No.
September 4, 2025
I continue to believe that the roots of all fiscal evil are subsidies, grants and earmarks, and this stinker is packed with them. Among my objections:
- Nearly a billion dollars in congressional earmarks that bypass the competitive process that awards funding based on merit and not political deals.
- Billions of dollars taken from taxpayers of one community to pay for local water projects that exclusively benefit some other community (in effect robbing St. Petersburg to pay St. Paul.)
- Billions of dollars to subsidize favored energy companies and interests.
Energy and water projects should be paid for by their beneficiaries. Local projects that exclusively benefit one community should not be funded by others that receive no benefit. And ALL projects should be funded on their merit. This bill makes a mockery of these fundamental principles of responsible fiscal management and illustrates how this Congress is still not taking its responsibility seriously.
Issues:Fiscal and Economic