Top Democrat Plans Advance List of Earmarks
By JACQUELINE PALANK
New York Times
WASHINGTON, June 11 — A top House Democrat delivered a promise — and a threat — on Monday about the disclosure of the pet projects known as earmarks.
Under pressure from Republicans, the Democrat, Representative David R. Obey of Wisconsin, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said that this year all earmarks and their sponsors would be listed in The Congressional Record a month before they come up for final approval.
Lawmakers and the public can raise questions, sponsors can defend their projects, and the Appropriations Committee will make final decisions.
Mr. Obey warned that he would bar earmarks completely if Republicans attacked individual projects to score political points.
“If they think they can demagogue the earmarks process all year long and expect Democrats to carry the burden of passing earmarks, they’re wrong,” he said. “Then there will be no earmarks for anybody.”
The threat underscores Mr. Obey’s determination to preserve the authority of his committee to deliver or withhold earmarks, federal money for bridges, clinics or military contractors that helps endear lawmakers to constituents.
(Continued here.)
New York Times
WASHINGTON, June 11 — A top House Democrat delivered a promise — and a threat — on Monday about the disclosure of the pet projects known as earmarks.
Under pressure from Republicans, the Democrat, Representative David R. Obey of Wisconsin, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said that this year all earmarks and their sponsors would be listed in The Congressional Record a month before they come up for final approval.
Lawmakers and the public can raise questions, sponsors can defend their projects, and the Appropriations Committee will make final decisions.
Mr. Obey warned that he would bar earmarks completely if Republicans attacked individual projects to score political points.
“If they think they can demagogue the earmarks process all year long and expect Democrats to carry the burden of passing earmarks, they’re wrong,” he said. “Then there will be no earmarks for anybody.”
The threat underscores Mr. Obey’s determination to preserve the authority of his committee to deliver or withhold earmarks, federal money for bridges, clinics or military contractors that helps endear lawmakers to constituents.
(Continued here.)
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1 Comments:
Lack of discipline in the appropriations process is part of the reason Congress’ approval ratings are so low.
Although Earmarks are the bane of fiscal conservatives, they may be so inherent in the system that they will never be totally eliminated. Being realistic, elimination should not be the goal, but instead exposure, justification and agreement. That is what the Democrats promised when they set-up the rules. Obey is making a big mistake.
As recently reported by Taxpayers for Common Sense : “The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) was one of the first out of the gate to implement the rule, adding a 13-page chart in the report accompanying the FY 2008 defense authorization bill (National Defense Authorization Act) that listed each earmark along with the requesting member, dollar amount and beneficiary. [SNIP] However, within the 600-odd pages of the bill and accompanying report, TCS found 53 earmarks that were somehow never disclosed. These earmarks are worth $744 million, or nearly nine percent of the total earmarks. ”
So there are two problems.
First as pointed out above, earmarks are not being completely reported.
Second, with the word that earmarks will be earmarks AFTER the Appropriation Bill has been set puts all the power into the select group of participants in the conference negotiating committee. This is a major concern … not only for the taxpayers, but should be a RED FLAG for newly elected Representatives that campaigned in 2006 against the Republican earmark practices. After all, this is how the DM&E loan provisions were enlarged.
The Democrats need to call a stop to these “return to the old ways” practices. Otherwise, be prepared to hear for the next 17 months how the Spendo-crats can’t be trusted with our tax dollars.
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