Below is a list of the local projects I am seeking funding for in fiscal year 2010 on behalf of New York's 24th District. These Congressionally Directed Funding requests, commonly known as "earmarks" allow members of Congress to direct federal funding to local priority projects within the districts they represent. Under the federal process, Members of Congress submit requests to the House Committee on Appropriations, which reviews each request and has the final say on which projects receive funding. Projects funded through an earmark still require the agency, business or organization that submitted the request to meet all application requirements of the federal agency administering the earmark before funding is distributed.

While earmarks contribute vital funding to many worthy projects throughout the 24th District, there has been a great deal of criticism of earmarks in the national media recently. High-profile examples of dubious projects like the "Bridge to Nowhere" in Alaska, have allowed this process to come under justified scrutiny. To address past abuses, the 111th Congress has taken several steps to improve openness and transparency of the federal earmarking process and set a goal to reduce earmarks by 50% from a historically high level in 2006.

Transparency and oversight measures are in place to ensure that the most appropriate and necessary projects are being funded. Strict rules have been adopted by Congress in the last two years that have been applauded by outside watchdog groups. Ryan Alexander, President of Taxpayers for Common Sense said of the new earmark rules: "The House has given us more information than we have ever had before on earmarks, and they deserve credit for that."

New Oversight and Transparency Requirements for Earmark Requests:

Step 1: Members are Required to Post All Requests Online: To offer more opportunity for public scrutiny of requests, members of Congress are required to post information on their earmark requests on their websites at the time the request is made with the proposed recipient; the address of the recipient; the amount of the request; and an explanation of the request, including its purpose and why it is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds. (new as of January 2009)

Step 2: Certify No Financial Interest: At the time the request is made, the member of Congress must send the House Committee on Appropriations a letter identifying the earmark, the entity that will receive the funds and their address, what the earmark does, and a certification that neither the requesting member nor their spouse will benefit from it financially. The certification is available on the internet at least 48 hours prior to a floor vote on the bill. (new as of January 2007)

Step 3: Executive Review: The appropriate federal agency will be given 20 days to check that the proposed earmark is eligible for funding and meets the goals established by law for the program under which the request is made. (new as of March 2009)

Step 4: Early Public Disclosure of Subcommittee Decisions: Each spending bill must be accompanied by a list identifying each earmark that it includes and which member requested it. To increase the time available for public scrutiny of committee decisions, earmark disclosure tables will be made available to the public the same day as the House or Senate Subcommittee rather than the Full Committee reports their bill. (new as of January 2009)

Step 5: Capping Earmarks: Total funding for non-project based earmarks will be limited to fifty percent (50%) of the 2006 levels and no more than one percent (1%) of the total discretionary budget. (new as of January 2009)

Step 6: Votes: Members are able to offer floor amendments on earmarks under the rules of the House and Senate. Over 70 such votes were taken on individual earmarks in 2007 in the House.

Step 7: Competitive Process: The Executive Branch will be required to ensure that any earmarks directed to for-profit entities will be awarded through a competitive bidding process. (new as of March 2009)

Step 8: Rescissions: In the event that any ineligible projects are discovered after the earmark is signed into law, under the rescission process on the books, Congress can consider proposals by the President to rescind funding.

Additional Steps Taken by Congressman Arcuri to Increase Oversight and Transparency for Earmarks:

Above and beyond these new regulations providing historic earmark accountability and transparency in Congress, I have instituted additional requirements for anyone applying for earmark requests through my office in order to ensure the legitimacy of projects seeking earmarks, and provide the maximum amount of transparency for taxpayers.

First, I require that each entity applying for funding submit three letters of support from outside organizations or local or state elected officials that highlight how the project benefits residents, the community, and/or the economy of New York's 24th District, as well as, if applicable, New York State and the United States.

Second, I require each applicant to provide a formal request letter on official letterhead and signed by the principal of the organization making the request (i.e. Mayor, organization president or business owner). The formal request letter must answer each of the following questions:

1. What is the purpose of the project or program?
2. How does the project/program save or create jobs?
3. How does the project/program improve the quality of life in the community?
4. How will these funds make the project/program independently self-sufficient and viable?
5. Why is this project a good use of taxpayer funds?

Below are the earmark requests I have submitted to the House Committee on Appropriations on behalf of New York's 24th District. Requests are listed alphabetically by issue area (i.e. defense, education, etc...). These requests do not automatically become law. Because the amount of earmarks is reduced every year, non-selection does not necessarily mean that a project is unworthy or doesn't qualify for federal funding. Only a handful of the earmark requests listed below will be included in the final legislation this year.

The application period for seeking an earmark request for the current fiscal year is now closed. For information on seeking funding through federal competitive grants, please visit the "Grant Requests" page of my website.

For a complete list of of all of the requests I have submitted for consideration, please click below.