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The Heritage Foundation Visiting Fellow Matt Mayer on the government waste in the Hurricane Sandy spending bill.
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Government gone wild today the senate -- hotly debating -- six billion dollar relief -- for -- Cindy sounds good right.
But outraged critics say it is loaded with hundreds of millions of dollars in pork barrel projects.
Italy and the storm turning me now is Matt mayor visiting fellow with The Heritage Foundation Matt welcome back to the show.
What's the most egregious thing you sign here.
I think probably -- 150 million for fisheries out in Alaska.
I mean it was in fairness it was for Alaska and other places as well but it begs the question.
Why in this bill would you be spending any money on fisheries in Alaska when you have people in Staten Island that are still home.
Yeah I mean that's that's that's part of the problems the federal government is -- always over reaches in these kinds of events by adding lots of stuff on the Christmas tree.
That really isn't needed.
Well is needed to get something done I mean you know a lot of people say this is the system this is our system it's it's not perfect but it's -- -- what happened here in this is how it works.
And when I see that the Department of Justice inspector general.
Gets a new car.
In this bill I wonder what's his car ruined and hurricane sandy or is this just an add on.
Well you know look at being that this is the kind of behavior that has gotten us into the fiscal problems we face as a nation which is let's just.
Spend money on stuff because we think we need it purses do we really need it and you know for that kind of a spending issue it seems to me the right place for that is an appropriation bill next year.
Not in a bill that is aimed to help victims right now deal with -- real tragic event in Connecticut major new York New Jersey.
So was there -- can be done this particular bill to strip it down because you know I don't wanna stand in the way of helping people that are really hurting.
But at the same time we would irk me to know when I mean two million dollars to repair.
The Smithsonian's roof indie scene was it damaged by hurricane -- and and it is that more important -- You know helping people again who is -- life's been strike.
Yeah I mean a way to deal with this is the strip out all of this spending that is to targeted to federal assets in facilities and really focus on.
The things that the money that should go to.
Victims.
Business -- state and local governments in the impacted area.
And really 'cause doesn't that things were cut by transportation prepares debris removal.
Aid to victims -- that's the stuff that we need to folks I'm not all this other stuff that just.
To be put in an appropriate -- and operational next year if -- -- -- and things that's important enough or not mean a lot of it just shouldn't be done at all.
Where does the bill go from here you can do you think it's gonna get passed in these things are gonna happen whether it whether or excess amount.
No I mean I think they're gonna they're gonna strip some stuff out here in debate a lot of what we need to have induced focus on the debate of about fifteen billion.
That is going to the categories I just talked about in.
-- so they do that I think we need money in the hands of the folks that really needed -- get this -- move forward rather than try to lard it up.
With a bunch of -- -- gratuitous spending.
Is there a law we -- pass against lard is there someone that can run for office that could -- my whole issue is going to be.
I'm gonna stop this nonsense -- this -- really stop this.
Well unfortunately it you know party one doesn't get much done in -- place like Washington what you need is is really the the grassroots to rise up across this country so you know we've had enough war -- -- spending money we don't have.
Let's get serious about this incident knock off all these Christmas tree type bill approaches now.
RA Matt -- thanks for coming on breaking it down press --
