In a report released Thursday by the Citizens Against Government Waste, Georgia Congressman Phil Gingrey, one of the 24 members of the House TEA Party Caucus, requested over $16 Million in earmarks in 2010.  This despite the fact that TEA Party members are currently publicly pressing to do away with earmarked funding.

A spokesperson for Citizens Against Government Waste said, "It’s disturbing to see the Tea Party Caucus requested that much in earmarks. This is their time to put up or shut up, to be blunt. There’s going to be a huge backlash if they continue to request earmarks. It’s interesting to note that the caucus founder, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), is herself exonerated by the study, having requested no earmarks in the last Congress. But other luminaries of the right wing don’t get off so easy."

In 2007 Rep. Gingrey introduced legislation to drastically cut earmarks.  At the time Gingrey said, "Whether it be through a  position in leadership, or membership on the Appropriations Committee, all projects are not given equal consideration in the earmark process."

According to the report Gingrey who represents Chattooga County in the U.S. House, requested $16.1 Million in earmarks in 2010.