Chart: Tech-related pork
From no-flush toilets to spray paint simulators, local businesses and organizations are jockeying for spot at trough.
Silicon money: How do tech firms buy influence in Washington?
Tech-related pork
March 29, 2006 4:00 AM PST
How does Congress spend money on technology research, development and education? As with traditional "pork barrel spending," much money gets earmarked for projects of the home districts of politicians who head the right subcommittee. From no-flush toilets to spray paint simulators, local businesses and educational organizations are jockeying for their place at the trough.
Selected Pork 2006 (Defense Department only)
Cost | Description |
$20,500,000 | To test applied counterspace technology. |
$15,000,000 | To upgrade Maui High Performance Computing Center technology for the military. |
$11,800,000 | To research, develop, test and evaluate sensor technology for Army camera-assisted monitoring system. |
$11,000,000 | To research, develop, test and evaluate nanotechnology initiatives for the Air Force. |
$10,200,000 | To research, develop, test and evaluate spintronics memory storage technology. |
$7,000,000 | To fund a missile simulation and rapid-assessment initiative for the Army. |
$5,000,000 | To fund military initiatives through California Manufacturing Technology Consulting. |
$5,000,000 | To maintain and replace Golden Hour Containers (for transporting blood) for the Army. |
$4,300,000 | To fund a pilot port security sensor technology initiative in Tampa Bay for the Army. |
$4,250,000 | To research, develop, test and evaluate international technology transfer for the military. |
$4,250,000 | To research, develop, test and evaluate semiconductor photomask technology for the military. |
$4,200,000 | To research, develop, test and evaluate advanced demining technology for the Army. |
$3,750,000 | To fund the Center for Minimally Invasive Technology at Massachusetts General Hospital for the Army. |
$3,500,000 | To research, develop, test and evaluate VTDP helicopter technology for the Army. |
$3,500,000 | To research, develop, test and evaluate tissue and limb transplantation medical technology for the Army. |
$3,500,000 | To research, develop, test and evaluate reactive-materials technology for the Army. |
Selected Pork 2005
Cost | State | Department | Description |
$35,000,000 | AL | Transportation/Treasury | To fund the Transportation Technology Center at Auburn University. |
$14,000,000 | n/a | Homeland Security | To buy covert surveillance aircraft for the U.S. Coast Guard, even though it doesn't plan to procure new planes until 2016. |
$9,350,000 | n/a | Defense | To research, develop, test and evaluate sensor technology for Army protection. |
$6,400,000 | HI | Defense | To digitize technical and operations manuals for the Marine Corps. |
$5,000,000 | NH | Commerce | To fund the Institute for Security Technology Studies at Dartmouth College. |
$5,000,000 | n/a | Defense | To research, develop, test and evaluate night vision technology for the Army. |
$4,000,000 | MS | VA/HUD | To improve Stennis Space Center's commercial technology program. |
$3,500,000 | NV | Energy and Water | To develop state-or-the-art chemical, biological and nuclear detection sensors at University of Nevada at Reno. |
$3,000,000 | SC | Commerce | To improve the South Carolina Judicial Department case docket system. |
$2,600,000 | n/a | Defense | To research, develop, test and evaluate advanced battery technology for the Army. |
$2,000,000 | NC | Commerce | To upgrade law enforcement technologies for the Asheville Police Department. |
$2,000,000 | n/a | Transportation/Treasury | To fund the Counterdrug Technology Assessment Center in Washington, D.C. |
$1,789,000 | IA | Agriculture | To fund the Iowa Biotechnology Consortium. |
$1,500,000 | VA | Commerce | To create a statewide records management system for Virginia law enforcement. |
$1,500,000 | NV | Commerce | To upgrade the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's communications system. |
$1,500,000 | CA | Defense | To fund undislosed defense missions for the Allen Telescope Array, part of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI). |
Selected Pork 2004
Cost | State | Department | Description |
$11,000,000 | TX | Defense | To provide training and technology in Texas in preparation of trauma and terrorism. |
$6,100,000 | KY | Labor/HHS/Education | To build facilities and buy equipment for the University of Louisville's Science and Technology Research Center. |
$6,100,000 | KY | Labor/HHS/Education | To fund construction and supply equipment for the University of Louisville Science and Technology Research Center. |
$3,400,000 | n/a | Defense | To expand rural access to broadband technology. Measure added by the House of Representatives. |
$3,400,000 | n/a | Defense | To expand rural access to broadband technology through the Army National Guard. |
$3,000,000 | n/a | Defense | To implement automated identification technology/radio frequency identification for the Army. |
$2,125,000 | n/a | Defense | To fund R&D, testing and evaluation of battery-charging technology. |
$2,000,000 | NH | Commerce | To provide digital radio equipment and technology to the New Hampshire Department of Safety. |
$1,400,000 | n/a | Defense | To fund an advanced-technology demonstration for the Navy's Center of Excellence for Small Robots. |
$1,250,000 | n/a | Commerce | To fund a rural law enforcement technology and training center. |
$1,000,000 | IA | Labor/HHS/Education | To expand the Iowa Communications Network statewide fiber-optic demonstration program. |
$1,000,000 | KY | Labor/HHS/Education | To fund the University of Kentucky's Center for Technology and Learning in Lexington. |
$1,000,000 | KY | Labor/HHS/Education | To fund the electronic-access project of University of Kentucky's Law School. |
$1,000,000 | CA | Commerce | To fund the Bay Area law enforcement technology system. |
$1,000,000 | FL | Labor/HHS/Education | To upgrade educational computing and technology at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg. |
$1,000,000 | MA | Labor/HHS/Education | To fund technology upgrades and equipment for the National Center for Technology Literacy at the Museum of Science in Boston. |
n/a = "not available"
Silicon money: How do tech firms buy influence in Washington?
Tech-related pork
March 29, 2006 4:00 AM PST
How does Congress spend money on technology research, development and education? As with traditional "pork barrel spending," much money gets earmarked for projects of the home districts of politicians who head the right subcommittee. From no-flush toilets to spray paint simulators, local businesses and educational organizations are jockeying for their place at the trough.
Selected Pork 2006 (Defense Department only)
Cost | Description |
$20,500,000 | To test applied counterspace technology. |
$15,000,000 | To upgrade Maui High Performance Computing Center technology for the military. |
$11,800,000 | To research, develop, test and evaluate sensor technology for Army camera-assisted monitoring system. |
$11,000,000 | To research, develop, test and evaluate nanotechnology initiatives for the Air Force. |
$10,200,000 | To research, develop, test and evaluate spintronics memory storage technology. |
$7,000,000 | To fund a missile simulation and rapid-assessment initiative for the Army. |
$5,000,000 | To fund military initiatives through California Manufacturing Technology Consulting. |
$5,000,000 | To maintain and replace Golden Hour Containers (for transporting blood) for the Army. |
$4,300,000 | To fund a pilot port security sensor technology initiative in Tampa Bay for the Army. |
$4,250,000 | To research, develop, test and evaluate international technology transfer for the military. |
$4,250,000 | To research, develop, test and evaluate semiconductor photomask technology for the military. |
$4,200,000 | To research, develop, test and evaluate advanced demining technology for the Army. |
$3,750,000 | To fund the Center for Minimally Invasive Technology at Massachusetts General Hospital for the Army. |
$3,500,000 | To research, develop, test and evaluate VTDP helicopter technology for the Army. |
$3,500,000 | To research, develop, test and evaluate tissue and limb transplantation medical technology for the Army. |
$3,500,000 | To research, develop, test and evaluate reactive-materials technology for the Army. |
Selected Pork 2005
Cost | State | Department | Description |
$35,000,000 | AL | Transportation/Treasury | To fund the Transportation Technology Center at Auburn University. |
$14,000,000 | n/a | Homeland Security | To buy covert surveillance aircraft for the U.S. Coast Guard, even though it doesn't plan to procure new planes until 2016. |
$9,350,000 | n/a | Defense | To research, develop, test and evaluate sensor technology for Army protection. |
$6,400,000 | HI | Defense | To digitize technical and operations manuals for the Marine Corps. |
$5,000,000 | NH | Commerce | To fund the Institute for Security Technology Studies at Dartmouth College. |
$5,000,000 | n/a | Defense | To research, develop, test and evaluate night vision technology for the Army. |
$4,000,000 | MS | VA/HUD | To improve Stennis Space Center's commercial technology program. |
$3,500,000 | NV | Energy and Water | To develop state-or-the-art chemical, biological and nuclear detection sensors at University of Nevada at Reno. |
$3,000,000 | SC | Commerce | To improve the South Carolina Judicial Department case docket system. |
$2,600,000 | n/a | Defense | To research, develop, test and evaluate advanced battery technology for the Army. |
$2,000,000 | NC | Commerce | To upgrade law enforcement technologies for the Asheville Police Department. |
$2,000,000 | n/a | Transportation/Treasury | To fund the Counterdrug Technology Assessment Center in Washington, D.C. |
$1,789,000 | IA | Agriculture | To fund the Iowa Biotechnology Consortium. |
$1,500,000 | VA | Commerce | To create a statewide records management system for Virginia law enforcement. |
$1,500,000 | NV | Commerce | To upgrade the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's communications system. |
$1,500,000 | CA | Defense | To fund undislosed defense missions for the Allen Telescope Array, part of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI). |
Selected Pork 2004
Cost | State | Department | Description |
$11,000,000 | TX | Defense | To provide training and technology in Texas in preparation of trauma and terrorism. |
$6,100,000 | KY | Labor/HHS/Education | To build facilities and buy equipment for the University of Louisville's Science and Technology Research Center. |
$6,100,000 | KY | Labor/HHS/Education | To fund construction and supply equipment for the University of Louisville Science and Technology Research Center. |
$3,400,000 | n/a | Defense | To expand rural access to broadband technology. Measure added by the House of Representatives. |
$3,400,000 | n/a | Defense | To expand rural access to broadband technology through the Army National Guard. |
$3,000,000 | n/a | Defense | To implement automated identification technology/radio frequency identification for the Army. |
$2,125,000 | n/a | Defense | To fund R&D, testing and evaluation of battery-charging technology. |
$2,000,000 | NH | Commerce | To provide digital radio equipment and technology to the New Hampshire Department of Safety. |
$1,400,000 | n/a | Defense | To fund an advanced-technology demonstration for the Navy's Center of Excellence for Small Robots. |
$1,250,000 | n/a | Commerce | To fund a rural law enforcement technology and training center. |
$1,000,000 | IA | Labor/HHS/Education | To expand the Iowa Communications Network statewide fiber-optic demonstration program. |
$1,000,000 | KY | Labor/HHS/Education | To fund the University of Kentucky's Center for Technology and Learning in Lexington. |
$1,000,000 | KY | Labor/HHS/Education | To fund the electronic-access project of University of Kentucky's Law School. |
$1,000,000 | CA | Commerce | To fund the Bay Area law enforcement technology system. |
$1,000,000 | FL | Labor/HHS/Education | To upgrade educational computing and technology at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg. |
$1,000,000 | MA | Labor/HHS/Education | To fund technology upgrades and equipment for the National Center for Technology Literacy at the Museum of Science in Boston. |
n/a = "not available"