Tom Schatz Quotes (32 Quotes)

It is bad procurement policy for any state to unilaterally lock itself into one set of technologies.

Despite a record 427 billion deficit predicted for fiscal 2005, members of Congress are engaging in the worst form of blatant self-interest larding the budget with pork for home districts and states,

Pork-barrel spending illustrates and contributes to the meltdown of spending restraint in Washington. Instead of averting an impending fiscal crisis, members of Congress are grabbing the spoils to support their own re-election.

With all the special interests in Washington clamoring for handouts from a spendthrift Congress, the fight against big government is an uphill battle. Thanks to people like Sen. Chambliss, taxpayers have a fighting chance and will continue to score victories,

With a line-item veto, the president could help get special-interest and pork-barrel spending under control. Coming on the heels of last year's record pork-barrel spending, this proposal could not be more timely.

Until Congress sets priorities and restrains overall spending, members will continue to get failed ratings for protecting the interests of taxpayers,

For 700 million, the Congress could certainly do a lot more to help people that are still without homes. It's certainly unclear what this has to do with an emergency. It sounds like a wish list from the senators from Mississippi.

Government watchdogs claim that the money has created an unseemly rush to stick taxpayers with unnecessary expenses. There have been a number of contracts, including the one for the cruise ships, that seem hard to defend, ... It comes from not planning in advance, then doing these contracts without competitive bidding.

The budget process is in shambles, devoid of accountability, transparency, and enforcement measures, ... A vote for the status quo is a clear sign of contentment with the spending explosion in Washington.

The Deficit Reduction Act is a modest step to control spending. There is nothing compassionate about ignoring reality and leaving a crushing debt burden to future generations.

Eleven years ago we never expected this would be the case. Many people now long for a divided government because that may be what it takes to get more responsibility,

The structure slams the door on any competition. The ULA locks up all contracts, ensuring high costs for taxpayers and stifling innovation.

People paying record prices for gas are probably not thinking much about the Packard museum they're thinking about getting the nearest pothole fixed,

Agencies should be able to accept bids from any company that can provide the desired product or service. Government earns the best value for taxpayer dollars through a competitive, transparent, and accountable bidding process.

People use it in different ways. However this kind of spending can gain publicity and raise objections, we don't care what it's called.

I would like to once again ask members of Congress to take a good hard look in the mirror and ask themselves whether their parochial pork projects are really more important than our national and fiscal security.

People see (military) recruitment ads on TV all the time, and I don't think anyone objects to that.

Everyone's opening up their wallets to help (Katrina's victims) -- except members of Congress, who are opening up our wallets.

The line-item veto is just one element in earmark reform, and earmark reform is just one element in spending restraint. However, the line-item veto would add an important check to a budget process that is tainted by waste, abuse, and favoritism. Congressional leaders should move quickly on this proposal.

The bipartisan campaign to sabotage BRAC was about putting special interests before the national interest, ... Sen. Chambliss helped rescue a process that will save taxpayers billions of dollars and will allow the military to restructure to meet modern threats.

Large contractors give lots of money to these members of Congress. They always have. That's the way things are done.

Given the current circumstances, whoever becomes majority leader will have to be careful about appearing to do something special for their friends or district.

These 'nowhere' things are starting to gather some cachet in that they are drawing the public's attention to the problem of pork.

Members of Congress are well aware that we are about to face massive debts and deficits, and we're spending for an entrance to a museum It's just not a national priority under any circumstance, and less so when we've got to spend billions to clean everything up (in the Gulf).

Most people don't travel first class, and when they see the government abusing that privilege it certainly raises questions about government waste in Washington.

Given that it's an election year (next year), there could be pressure to increase earmarks. But there could be even more pressure, on Republicans in particular, to show that they are doing something about the pork and the waste.

Cutting waste is a politically difficult task because almost every program has an active constituency that profits from the status quo, ... But Sen. Chambliss recognizes that the federal government must set priorities. He has taken a long- term view of the nation's fiscal problems and makes a serious effort to tackle the enormous debt being left to future generations.

In the past, some members of Congress have short-changed troops, disaster victims, and taxpayers by including self-serving pork projects in emergency spending bills,

In 2004, Congress wasted tax dollars like never before. Very few members of Congress are working to ease the tax and regulatory burden of a cumbersome, bloated federal government,

Unfortunately disasters become an excuse for excessive spending. When it's within the region, people try to add these projects on.

It's only one state. At the very least, there should be more of a coordinated policy. We don't want a national policy, but we need to really consider the cost and really consider the long-term consequences.

It's easy to spend taxpayers' money without a lot of accountability,