Ten years ago this month, the new Republican leadership in Congress engaged in a Herculean battle with President Bill Clinton to cut nearly $50 billion in government appropriations. Speaker Newt Gingrich (for whom I worked) knew that cutting wasteful government spending was a primary reason that Republicans had, after 40 years in the minority, been given the keys to the Capitol.

It appears, however, that some of Gingrich's lieutenants, including House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, have lost their way.

In a bizarre interview with the Washington Times, DeLay declared an "ongoing victory" in the battle to reduce the size of the federal bureaucracy. Further, DeLay announced that "after 11 years of Republican majority we've pared [government] spending down pretty good." According to the Times, DeLay said "there is simply no fat left to cut in the federal budget."

This would surprise most Americans, in light of the fact that in July, Congress passed the largest transportation bill ever -- $286.5 billion -- $25 billion of which is due to be spent on pork projects. Members of Congress earmarked money to 6,373 individual projects in the highway bill, money that could have been spent on the genuine infrastructure needs in the Gulf Coast region.

Millions of Americans have opened their hearts and wallets to those affected by Katrina, donating nearly $500 million. This is but a modest down payment on the massive job of rebuilding homes, infrastructure and the communities destroyed by this cataclysmic event. But we're Americans and it is what we do when we see suffering and need -- we make sacrifices.

In light of this genuine need, it seems frivolous for Minnesotans to "accept" $495 million contained in 147 transportation earmarks. Ironically, those political earmarks neatly equal $100 per Minnesotan. I suggest that we refuse this money and offer it back to the Treasury to help offset the cost of rebuilding the Gulf Coast region.

What will we be "sacrificing"? Nothing we can't live without. I suspect that those who commute between Virginia and International Falls can wait a few more years before Hwy. 53 is expanded. This alone would save taxpayers a neat $50 million.

Bicycling year-round in Minnesota is difficult, if not impossible. Therefore, next on my list of cuts is a $25 million "rails-to-trails" project that would network bicycle and pedestrian paths with transit stations, schools and the like. This project was championed by Rep. Jim Oberstar of Minnesota, an avid cyclist and, more importantly, the ranking Democrat on the House Transportation Committee. Oberstar also found room in the bill for these additional bicycle earmarks: an $878,080 pedestrian and bicycle bridge in Onamia; $3 million for the Cedar Lake Regional Trail, and $1.5 million for a bridge in Baxter. That's an additional $5 million in savings, and I'm just getting started. Throw in the $50 million dedicated toward renovating St. Paul's Union Depot and we'll start saving some real money.

These are probably all worthy projects -- projects that we might fund in times of surpluses. In times of trouble, however, we shouldn't be spending money we don't have. We should make these sacrifices for the common good.

Infrastructure needs in the Gulf region must be a high priority in the disaster recovery: Without good roads, individuals will not be able to start rebuilding their homes and getting their lives in order, and businesses in the region will be slow to recover -- costing jobs and worsening economic despair. These offsets and other cuts in spending will allow Congress to continue to provide the emergency relief so desperately needed to help put the region back together.

DeLay issued a pledge to those of us concerned about exorbitant congressional spending. He said, "My answer to those that want to offset the spending is sure, bring me the offsets, I'll be glad to do it." Well, here you go, Tom. We Minnesotans are happy to do our part.

And if Congress can't curtail spending, then perhaps Republicans are due for another 40 years in the minority.

-- Annette Meeks is former CEO of the Center of the American Experiment, a conservative think tank in Minneapolis.