Roscoe Bartlett is the first U.S. representative from Maryland and one of 31 legislators nationwide to release his “pork” projects to the public ? before they pass Congress.
“In previous years, I followed the established procedure and waited until appropriations bills were finalized [in Congress] to distribute news releases with my list of requests that received funding,” the Republican said in a statement.
“With greater public interest and the support of Republicans to reform the congressional budget process, I am releasing the requests.”
Bartlett released his list of $334.5 million in budget requests for next year?s federal budget, breaking from a decades-old practice of keeping mum on these occasionally controversial pet projects and backing more transparency in earmarking federal aid.
As Maryland?s sole representative on the House Armed Services Committee, $287 million, or 86 percent, of Bartlett?s funding requests are related to defense.
Among his $47.5 million in requests for nondefense projects, Bartlett asked for $1 million for the construction of Carroll County Youth Services Bureau?s new 20,000-square-foot outpatient mental health clinic and another $1 million for an online help site for Copper Ridge Institute, a facility that treats Alzheimer?s patients and conducts disease research.
Bartlett, whose mother died from Alzheimer?s, had requested federal funding for Copper Ridge.
The youth services bureau ? Carroll?s primary mental health service provider for youth and families with medical assistance ? has outgrown its “crowded and substandard” headquarters in a Westminster strip mall that it leases for $100,000 a year, according to a project summary of the new $6.8 million clinic.
Groundbreaking is scheduled for the fall.
FAST FACTS
» Fewer than 10 percent of the 435 members of the U.S. Congress released their “pork” projects, Bartlett spokeswoman Lisa Wright said.
» U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett represents District 6, which includes Carroll, Baltimore and Harford counties.
» Visit bartlett.house.gov to view Bartlett?s budget requests.
