In FY2008, more Congressional pork-barrel project money flowed into US academic institutions that ever before, according to an
analysis published in this week's issue of
The Chronicle of Higher Education.
The Chronicle's data showed that lawmakers directed more than two billion non-competitive dollars from more than 2,300 projects to 920 universities and colleges, an increase of 25 percent in the number of institutions receiving Congressional earmarks in 2003. The analysis also showed that about $1.6 billion of that pork-barrel money went towards scientific research at nearly 500 institutions. The rest went towards campus roads, on-campus building, and other construction projects.
Earmarking is unpopular among academic researchers who fear the non-peer-reviewed awards crowd out competitive grants, substituting funding based on political goals for funding based on scientific merit.
The school's receiving the most pork in FY08 were:
Mississippi State University, $43 million
University of Mississippi, $37.6 million
University of South Alabama, $33.4 million
Texas A&M University at College Station and System Office, $31.3 million
University of Hawaii-Manoa, $30.7 million
Not surprisingly, the home states of the legislators who earmarked the most money for academia in FY08 corresponded closely with the schools that received pork. The top five Senatorial earmarkers were:
Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), $161.6 million
Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.), $85.8 million
Sen. Pete V. Domenici (R-N.M.), $81.2 million
Sen. Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.), $74.0 million
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.), $73.1 million
According to
The Chronicle's report, Senators Hillary Clinton and
Barack Obama also earmarked money for academic institutions in FY08 ? Clinton earmarked $70.1 million while Obama earmarked $19.2 million. Senator John McCain has never earmarked any funds and is a vocal supporter of banishing pork-barrel spending altogether.