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Wastebusters: Group Monitoring Disaster Bill

Congress is about to provide massive funding for disaster relief –- all of it going to the Gulf Coast. Now, a watchdog group wants to make sure the money goes where it is really needed.

When it comes to disasters, Congress usually responds with tax money, In the case of Hurricane Katrina, it will be $30 billion or more.

However, many times in the past, Congress also loaded up disaster relief bills with some questionable spending that had nothing to do with disaster. For example, the Tsunami Relief bill earlier this year also included $25 million for a fish hatchery in Montana.

After the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, a member of Congress tacked on $200,000 for a dental school program at the University of Pennsylvania. And, a disaster bill in 2003 contained $110 million for the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa.

This time, the group Citizens Against Government Waste wants Congress to prevent those add-on projects and pledge that all of this disaster bill will go to those affected by the hurricane.

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