One of the main jobs of a U.S. Senator is to fight to make sure that their state receives its fair share from the federal government. New Yorkers work hard and pay their taxes and they deserve the best return possible. However, New Yorkers currently send more money to Washington then all but four states. With that in mind, Chuck has long tried to bring back to New York as much federal money as possible. This federal money comes in many different forms including large programs such as highway and mass transit funding; emergency programs such as the September 11th recovery money; disaster funding to help farmers and municipalities cope with extreme weather conditions; loan programs for veterans, students and small businesses; competitive grants for universities, businesses, museums and libraries; and aid to local governments and institutions to address community needs.
Of course, the government should not be spending scarce resources on frivolous, unproductive projects or wasteful, ineffective programs which is why Chuck has been a strong advocate for earmark reform.
And earmarks have been reformed. From 1995 to 2006, the number of earmarks skyrocketed and the process spiraled out of control. However, this year’s appropriations bills will, for the third year in a row, cut the number of earmarks from the 2006 level.
Further, the overall process is more transparent and open than ever before. Each Member of Congress must make public, on their website, every request that they submit to the Appropriations Committee.
This year, Chuck’s office received nearly 1,500 requests from communities and organizations across New York. Chuck and his staff are reviewing these requests and will submitting some of them to the various appropriations sub-committees listed on the right of this page. Unfortunately, many worthy projects will not be submitted and not all of those submitted will receive funding. Our country is facing tough economic times and Chuck knows that, just like families across New York, the federal government must make choices as well.
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