Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) requested at least 19 earmarks totaling over $60 million in the $1.7 trillion, 4,155-page omnibus bill.
If the bill passes both chambers of Congress, Murkowski’s state of Alaska will be granted by Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), on behalf of American taxpayers, $60,852,000 worth of pork for housing and urban development, along with infrastructure.
The specifics of the many line items include:
- Providence Alaska-Permanent Supportive Housing for Providence Alaska Foundation ($7,500,000)
- Cabin Community Projects for Sitka Homeless Coalition ($1,000,000)
- Rehabilitation of Bering Sea Women’s Shelter for Bering Sea Women’s Group ($2,000,000)
- Norton Sound Health Corporation Housing for Norton Sound Health Corporation ($5,000,000)
- Juneau Family Services Center Association for Education of Young Children Southeast ($5,000,000)
- Restoring Indigenous Safety and Empowerment (RISE) Tribal Domestic Violence Shelter for Helping Ourselves Prevent Emergencies ($500,000)
- Therapeutic Campus Construction-Recovery Program for Set Free Alaska ($5,000,000)
- Construction of Community and Tribal Childcare Facility for Tagiugmiullu Nunamiullu Housing Authority (TNHA) ($1,215,000)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks to reporters following the Senate weekly policy luncheons, at the U.S. Capitol on December 06, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
McConnell has reportedly praised the massive omnibus spending spree as a victory for the establishment Republicans. McConnell had previously promised he would oppose spending for “liberal domestic priorities.”
The 4,155-page omnibus bill also includes $773 billion in domestic spending with $5 billion worth of earmarks and $45 billion for Ukraine’s border defense. The White House only requested for $37 billion, far less than McConnell and Democrats have budgeted in the bill.
The pork included in the bill on behalf of Murkowski comes after McConnell funded Murkowski with millions of dollars in the 2022 midterm election against Republican candidate Kelly Tshibaka, while at the same time defunding many other Republican senate candidates who lost their election bids against Democrats.
Murkowski and McConnell have been political allies for a long time, even though Murkowski voted to impeach former President Donald Trump. Murkowski also voted eight additional times with Democrats in the past two years.
Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.