Topline: Government lobbying and Congressional earmarks often lead to wasted money, but in 2008 they combined to create a scenario where U.S. troops could have potentially lost their lives.
Campaign donations helped convince Congress members to earmark $7.6 million to buy an outdated powder that protects soldiers from chemical weapons. A newly-invented lotion had already been found to be seven times more effective at preventing burns.
That’s according to the “Wastebook” reporting published by the late U.S. Senator Dr. Tom Coburn. For years, these reports shined a white-hot spotlight on federal frauds and taxpayer abuses.
Coburn, the legendary U.S. Senator from Oklahoma, earned the nickname "Dr. No" by stopping thousands of pork-barrel projects using the Senate rules. Projects that he couldn't stop, Coburn included in his oversight reports.
Coburn's Wastebook 2008 included 65 examples of outrageous spending worth more than $1.3 billion, including the money spent on the outdated powder — which would be worth $11 million today.
Key facts: The Pentagon announced plans in 2005 to stop using decontamination powder produced by the companies Rohm and Haas and Truetech, and start using lotion from a different company.
The manufacturers were not willing to go down without a fight. Rohm and Haas spent over $3 million in four years on Congressional lobbying, according to the Seattle Times. Truetech President Daniel Kohn met with New York’s two senators at the time, Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer, to ask for help.
That helped secure a $2 million earmark in 2007 from Clinton and Schumer to buy powder kits. The Pentagon used the money to buy materials from Truetech but not from Rohm and Haas, leading to even more lobbying.
By 2008, Rohm and Haas had convinced 10 Congress members to sponsor a $5.6 million earmark for decontamination powder. This one came with explicit instructions to buy the “raw materials” produced by Rohm and Haas, even though the Pentagon said it already had enough to last until 2012.
The Seattle Times later reported that Clinton had received nearly $7,000 in campaign donations from the two companies. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) got over $47,000 and Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) received over $8,000 before sponsoring the second earmark.
The only way for the lotion manufacturer E-Z-EM to compete was with an earmark of its own. The company lobbied Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) to set aside $3.2 million for the lotion in 2009.
The most ironic part? E-Z-EM is based in New York and helped create jobs for Clinton and Schumer’s voters.
Search all federal, state and local government salaries and vendor spending with the AI search bot, Benjamin, at OpenTheBooks.com.
Summary: Lobbyists’ requests to spend taxpayer money should be eyed carefully, especially when it puts U.S. military members at risk of harm.
The #WasteOfTheDay is brought to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com
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