Romney Campaign Press Release - Rick Santorum: Proud Defender of Earmarks and Pork-Barrel Spending

"Rick Santorum is part of the big-spending Washington establishment that ran up the national debt by trillions and stuck our grandchildren with the bill. His ardent and passionate defense of earmarks is not something that fiscal conservatives are looking for in our next president. Mitt Romney supports a 'smaller, simpler, and smarter' government that cuts spending and frees us from the debt and deficits that politicians like Rick Santorum have created." —Andrea Saul, Romney Campaign Spokesperson

Santorum Has Been A "Prolific Supporter Of Earmarks," Having Requested Billions Of Dollars In Pork And Supporting Projects Like The "Bridge To Nowhere":

Club For Growth: "Santorum Was A Prolific Supporter Of Earmarks, Having Requested Billions Of Dollars For Pork Projects In Pennsylvania While He Was In Congress." ("2012 Presidential White Paper #4: Former Senator Rick Santorum," Club For Growth, 6/6/11)

Santorum Voted In Favor Of The "Bridge To Nowhere" — Even Voting In Favor Of Continued Funding For The Bridge Rather Than Sending The Funds To Rebuild New Orleans Post-Katrina. "He voted for the 2005 highway bill that included thousands of wasteful earmarks, including the Bridge to Nowhere. In fact, in a separate vote, Santorum had the audacity to vote to continue funding the Bridge to Nowhere rather than send the money to rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina." ("2012 Presidential White Paper #4: Former Senator Rick Santorum," Club For Growth, 6/6/11)

• Santorum Defends His Vote: "People Say That I Voted For 'The Bridge To Nowhere.' I Did. I Went With The Federalist Argument..." "Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum is defending his votes to spend federal money on politically earmarked projects, including the so-called 'Bridge to Nowhere' in Alaska that was never built. ... [Santorum:] 'People say that I voted for "The Bridge to Nowhere." I did. I went with the federalist argument, which is, "Who am I in Pennsylvania to tell Alaska what their highway priorities should be?"'" (William Petroski, "Santorum Defends Votes For 'Bridge To Nowhere' And Other Political Earmarks," Des Moines Register, 12/29/11)

Los Angeles Times: Santorum Was "An Avid User Of Earmarks When He Was In Congress." "Former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, an avid user of earmarks when he was in Congress, said he had reversed his position on the pet spending projects, which have fallen sharply out of favor with politicians of both parties." (Paul West, "Mitt Romney Defends His Massachusetts Healthcare Plan At 'Tea Party' Forum," Los Angeles Times, 4/29/11)

Santorum Admits He Was An Ardent User Of Earmarks — Saying He Was "Very Proud" Of It — While Criticizing Tea Party Conservatives For Opposing Them:

In November 2010, Santorum "Admitted... He Was Once An Ardent Earmarker." "Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, who is becoming less and less coy about his 2012 presidential aspirations, admitted during a luncheon Monday that he was once an ardent earmarker, but now believes they should be banned." (Colby Itkowitz, "Santorum Stumps In New Hampshire," Allentown Morning Call, 11/29/10)

Santorum In 2009: "I Have Had A Lot Of Earmarks. In Fact, I'm Very Proud Of All The Earmarks I've Put In Bills. I'll Defend Earmarks." (Fox News' "Hannity," 2/26/09)

In 2010, Santorum Singled Out The Tea Party's Opposition To Earmarks For Criticism, Calling The Outrage "A Little Bit Off." "'If the tea party folks say, "We need to get back to the Constitution," well, back to the Constitution means members of Congress should be spending this money, not the executive branch. And we're going the opposite direction, saying, "No, we're going to give all the power to the president,"' Santorum said. 'Well, if you look at the Constitution, the Constitution doesn't say the president spends the money, it says Congress spends the money. So I just think it's a little bit off.'" (Rudolph Bell, "Ex-Sen. Rick Santorum Says He 'Supported Port Earmarks,'" The Greenville News, 10/29/10)

Santorum Insists That Other Members — But Definitely Not Him — Were Guilty Of Abusing The Process:

Santorum: "Earmarks Were Abused. Not Mine, But Others..." "Santorum said that while he took advantage of earmarks as a legislator, he didn't abuse them. 'Well, if you look at the Constitution of the United States, it says that Congress spends the money,' Santorum said on CNN's 'John King, USA.' 'And what happened was that earmarks were abused. Not mine, but others, who did abuse the earmark process.'" (Alicia Cohn, "Santorum Defends His Earmarks After Perry Attacks Them In Ad," The Hill, 12/30/11)

Santorum: "The Idea That Earmarks Are The Problem In Washington, D.C., Is Just Ridiculous." ("Santorum Defends Earmarks," The Associated Press, 1/5/12)

Santorum Secured Hundreds Of Thousands Of Dollars To Build A "Luxurious" Polar Bear Exhibit At The Pittsburgh Zoo:

In 2006, Santorum "Boasted To Local Reporters About How He'd Fetched $500,000 From Federal Taxpayers To Build One Of The Most Luxurious Polar-Bear Exhibits Outside Arctic Climates." "Typical of his campaigning these days was a stop earlier this month at the Pittsburgh Zoo, where he boasted to local reporters about how he'd fetched $500,000 from federal taxpayers to build one of the most luxurious polar-bear exhibits outside Arctic climates. 'They're building underwater tunnels so you're actually under water,' Mr. Santorum told his awe-struck children as they toured the construction site and approached a tunnel of 4-inchglass that will allow zoo visitors to view the bears from below." ("Santorum Goes Full Circle," The Washington Times, 8/22/06)

Santorum Defended The Earmark: "If The Pot Of Money Is There, I'm Going To Make Sure We Get A Piece Of That Money. "After the zoo event, Mr. Santorum was asked whether funding for the polar-bear exhibit really was all that important, given the federal government's hemorrhaging debt, looming financial crisis in entitlement programs and expensive emergencies, such as the war in Iraq and rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina. 'If the pot of money is there, I'm going to make sure we get a piece of that money,' said Mr. Santorum, who defended his record of support for 'lean' budgets." ("Santorum Goes Full Circle," The Washington Times, 8/22/06)

Santorum: "Is That An Important Thing? Well, You Know, Yeah, It Probably Is." "'The federal government does finance educational programs with respect to biology and zoology and a whole host of areas that we think is important for our children,' he said. 'Is that an important thing? Well, you know, yeah, it probably is.'" ("Santorum Goes Full Circle," The Washington Times, 8/22/06)

A Selection Of Other Earmarks Claimed By Santorum:

February 2006: Santorum Secured Half A Million Dollars For A Pedestrian Trail/Bike Path For Pittsburgh. "U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today presented a check to the City of Pittsburgh for $500,000 for the completion of the Pittsburgh Riverfront Trail system. The funding was included in the Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU)." (Sen. Rick Santorum, Press Release, 2/20/06)

December 2005: Santorum Secured $250,000 To Help Pay For "Passenger Comfort Stations" At A Local Transit Center. "SVSS received $250,000 for the construction of 46 new Passenger Comfort Stations, purchase of shop equipment for a 'shared' vehicle storage/light maintenance facility, and construction of two additional parking facilities directly across from the Shenango Valley Shuttle Service's existing Transit Center." (Sen. Rick Santorum, Press Release, 12/2/05)

October 2005: Santorum Delivered $2 Million For A Parking Garage In Upper Darby Township. "'I am pleased to deliver $2 million to Upper Darby Township to assist with the construction of a parking garage that will help to improve access to the Market Street economic development corridor,' said Senator Santorum." (Sen. Rick Santorum, Press Release, 10/14/05)

February 2004: Santorum Delivered A $200,000 Earmark For The "Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum." "Santorum began his day by traveling to the Heinz History Center, joined by NFL legend Franco Harris from the Pittsburgh Steelers, to present $200,000 in funding to the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center for its upcoming Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, scheduled to open in November 2004. This funding was secured through the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services." (Sen. Rick Santorum, Press Release, 2/16/04)

October 2003: Santorum Earmarked $3 Million For "A New Intermodal Hub And An Integrated Parking Garage" In Hazleton. "U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today traveled to Hazleton to announce the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee approval to earmark $3,000,000 in FY04 funding for the creation of the Hazleton Intermodal and Parking Center. ... The Hazleton Intermodal and Parking Center project is a mass transit and mobility improvement initiative that serves to provide the City of Hazleton with a new intermodal hub and an integrated parking garage affording residents with 405 parking spaces located in the downtown business district." (Sen. Rick Santorum, Press Release, 10/6/03)

By The Time Santorum Was Crushed By Nearly Twenty Points In His 2006 Re-Election Bid, Pennsylvanians Saw Him As Part Of The Problem When It Came To Spending:

The Associated Press: "Even Some Conservatives Were Frustrated ... [And] Saw Him As Too Much A Part Of The Big-Spending Establishment." "By the time of his defeat as part of an anti-war, anti-incumbent tide, even some conservatives were frustrated with Santorum. Some saw him as too much a part of the big-spending establishment and others didn't like that he chose to endorse Arlen Specter, then a moderate Republican senator who years later would switch to the Democratic Party, over conservative Pat Toomey in the state's close 2004 Republican primary." (Andrew Miga, "Santorum Cites Appeal As Reliable Conservative," The Associated Press, 12/31/11)