From the “You Gotta Be Kidding Files” congress is voting on an amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations bill for an “alien” project to search for extraterrestrial intelligence.  Yep, that’s right!  We’re not talking border crossers, we’re talking “E.T. phone home”.  Unbelievable!

From Congressman Burton’s congressional blog:

Pork Platter Menu : $1,000,000 for alien research

In the first installment of the Thursday Pork Platter we’ve got $1,000,000 of your tax dollars served up for “alien research.

As you will agree, efficient and effective operation of the Department of Defense (DOD) is critical to ensuring the security of our nation and the safety of our troops. Thankfully, because of the efforts of a few of my colleagues and I, from FY2006 to FY2007 the number of pork barrel projects decreased. But that didn’t stop a Representative from California from adding $1,000,000 to the DOD appropriations bill for an “alien” project to search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Nonsense like this provoked me to pledge not to request any earmarks for the 2009 fiscal budget. While Federal dollars can be used properly to support local areas, I had to set an example for my colleagues and pledge against a single cent of pork until the system is reformed. Would alien research get approved in an up or down vote on the House floor? If I were a betting man I’d say it wouldn’t.

Thanks for checking this week’s platter, and we’ll serve up another peice of pork for you next week.