WASHINGTON — In Washington today, Tea Party supporters are gathering at the Capitol to push Republicans to deliver on a pledge for big budget cuts. But ABC News reports many Tea Party Republicans have been cashing in for years on big federal taxpayer subsidies. At least five House members with Tea Party connections, including Tea Party superstar and presidential hopeful Michelle Bachmann, have each collected more than $100,000 each year in federal farm subsidies – totaling more than $ 8 million since 1995. ABC said that at least 23 current members of Congress or their families have collected federal farm subsidies in the past 15 years – totaling more than $12 million. ABC News senior political correspondent Jonathan Karl caught up with one of them – Congressman Stephen Fincher, R-Tennessee, and asked if he would be willing to give up his federal farm subsidies. Fincher refused to answer, who merely said that Congress needs to look “at many, many options.”
Thursday, March 31, 6:30 a.m.
