LA Lawmakers Among Earmark Leaders

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Louisiana's U.S. senators added hundreds of millions of dollars in pet projects to the $410 billion spending bill awaiting President Barack Obama's signature.

A nonpartisan watchdog group says that ranks them near the top of the list of lawmakers who placed so-called "earmarks" in the measure.

Sen. Mary Landrieu, a Democrat, ranked second with more than $332 million worth of earmarks in the bill according to the analysis from Taxpayers for Common Sense; Republican David Vitter ranked fifth with more than $249.1 million.

In the House, Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-Quitman, ranked No. 2 in earmark additions with $120.7 million, according to the TCS analysis. Despite adding hundreds of millions to the bill, Vitter and Alexander both voted against it.