June 14th, 2006

US House bill blocks federal spending on Ketchikan's"Bridge to Nowhere"

By Dennis Zaki

The US House passed a bill today to block federal tax dollars from going to Alaska's "bridge to nowhere," the $230 million pork project that would connect a remote island of 50 residents to another remote island.

Rep. Mark Steven Kirk, from a moderate district in the suburbs of Chicago and a rising star in the Republican ranks, has long warned that wasteful spending undermines party's claim to fiscal conservatism.

Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, a steadfast champion of both bridges, did not try to take the measure out during the debate over the bill. His spokeswoman, Meredith Kenny, said he opted against a battle on the floor and instead will try to remove the bridge spending prohibition when the bill is reconciled with the Senate version in a conference committee.

"He's been assured by the speaker (of the House) that he's going to have a seat at the table at conference," she said.

The bridges, particularly the Gravina Island bridge, have been the targets of widespread public scorn. Young succeeded in including nearly $500 million for the projects in the five-year transportation bill last year. But other Republicans and budget watchdogs, not to mention comedians and talk-show hosts, pointed to the spending as the epitome of wasteful congressional pork.

Related "Bridge to Nowhere" stories:

John McCain rips Ted Stevens' bridge to nowhere (8/4/07)

Godfather of Earmarks: The Fall of Don "Corleone" Young (2/4/08)

Watchdog group says Don Young is the reason Republicans have lost credibility (1/31/08)

Bridge to Nowhere costs skyrocket by $67 million (2/12/07)

Murkowski funneled taxpayer money to road for her home (8/8/07)