DES MOINES, IA - Five years ago today Senator Chuck Grassley’s pork-laden 2005 Highway Transportation Bill was passed, breaking spending limits at the time and adding nearly $300 billion worth of spending to the budget. The bill featured such fiscally irresponsible investments as the Knik Arm Bridge, better known as the “Bridge to Nowhere,” and nearly 6,000 other special projects. Compared to the Chuck Grassley of today, who even votes against extending unemployment benefits and against financial reform, it’s hard to imagine him leading a bill this large through Congress.

Although the bill passed on a bipartisan vote, Grassley was instrumental in its passage, even bragging on the Senate floor that credit must go to his staff for writing the bill. Grassley also authored an $11 billion amendment to the bill that pushed the total cost over $284 billion and was criticized by Bush Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta as being full of “accounting gimmicks.”

“While Chuck Grassley may try to pass himself off as fiscally responsible by voting against vital unemployment benefits and against wall street reform, he can’t run from his record of wasteful spending,” said Iowa Democratic Party Chair Sue Dvorsky. “It’s hard to tell which extreme Senator Grassley will go to next, but whether it’s outrageous spending projects or party-line opposition to everything, he is not on the side of Iowa.”