(Patriot Insider) – By now, you’ve likely heard of the infamous ‘Squad,’ a group of extreme left-wing Congressional socialists who have been the voices of the progressive movement within the legislative branch of our government for several years. These are the kind of folks that are more than happy to swell the size of government to get whatever their hearts desire and point money back to individuals from their districts.
According to Open the Books, Squad members have earmarked a whopping $224 million along with a wide range of silly and outlandish pet projects since 2023. Think about that for a minute. They earmarked all that money in a single year’s time. Someone’s lining their pockets with fat stacks of cash, right?
“Our figures include the earmarks in the most recent $1.2 trillion spending bill from last week. It’s a stunning display of logrolling – deep inside the status quo – they say they hate as a tool of capitalist oppression,” Open the Books said.
“The Squad maxed out their pork in 2023 and 2024. Their 215 earmarked projects cost the rest of us (overwhelmingly non-socialist) U.S. taxpayers $224.1 million. Every dime was borrowed against our national debt. New York’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), AKA, ‘AOC,’ who last week did not know that ‘RICO’ names a crime, is The Squad’s most prominent voice. She is celebrated as a “socialist superstar” by the Democratic Socialists of America,” the piece added.
Ocasio-Cortez has earmarked $1.2 million towards a brand new building for the International Muslim Women’s Empowerment Project. You’ll never guess what the founder teaches as a self-defense move to those who are part of the group. It’s a “hijab grab” that eventually lands a solid kick to the groin.
There’s also $500,000 for another project in AOC’s district known as the Billion Oyster. As you probably already know, if you are swimming in pools full of dollar bills, then you likely eat oysters. The problem, however, is that the law bans anyone from fishing or eating oysters in the Hudson River. The Billion Oyster project is an “engineering project” for “eco-marginalized people” located in Queens. Okay then.
“Other Squad members are Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Cori Bush (D-MO), Greg Casar (D-TX), Summer Lee (D-PA), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI),” the OTB report stated.
The members of the Squad have also managed to sneak junk into spending bills, where a lot of legislation seems to be based on race. Here are some examples:
– $850,000 to create jobs for the Black community near George Floyd Square, whose death in 2020 “added to the stress faced by the community and increased the need for support and stability in housing and commerce.” Patron: Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.
– $1.7 million to help the Environmental Leaders of Color build a “green tech park.” The group’s goal is to “assist marginalized communities in preparing for climate change’s adverse effects … so that they can thrive like healthy plants in their natural ecosystem.” Patron: Congressman Jamaal Bowman.
– $1 million for the Immigrant Opportunity Center expansion. It’s run by CAPI USA, a nonprofit that “guides refugees and immigrants in their journey toward self-determination and social equality.” Patron: Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.
And that’s just a sample. There are actually many more earmarks.
Ocasio-Cortez and other members of the Squad made various “green” earmarks, including the Green New Deal which AOC introduced back in 2019. There are 21 earmarks that make the creation of green infrastructure their main focus.
There’s a million dollars set aside to help create a “network of intergenerational, trauma-informed waterfront green spaces.” This particular project has already been given $792,000 in 2022 and Rep. Ayanna Presley is the patron.
Congresswoman Cori Bush has earmarked $466,000 to help make a homeless shelter more energy efficient.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib set aside $4 million to establish an “industrial green beltway” in the city of Dearborn, Michigan.
Again, that’s only a taste of the taxpayer cash for these projects. But the real question is how the money is actually being spent. Is it really doing the work the Squad set it aside for, or finding its way into politicians’ pockets?
Also, are these projects really necessary? Probably not. If we were serious about balancing the budget, well, we’d make cuts starting with many of these earmarks.
Copyright 2024. PatriotInsider.org
