The Democrats refuse to allow public scrutiny of all earmarks.
John Boehner, Republican leader in the House of Representatives, wrote this op-ed in the WSJ. Many of you feel the same way I do about earmarks, they need to be brought under control by both parties. Here is a pieced together excerpt from his column.
The Democratic majority came to power in January promising to do a better job on earmarks. They appeared to preserve our reforms and even take them a bit further. I commended Democrats publicly for this action.
Unfortunately, the leadership reversed course. Desperate to advance their agenda, they began trading earmarks for votes, dangling taxpayer-funded goodies in front of wavering members to win their support for leadership priorities.On June 12, I and other GOP leaders introduced legislation that would fully restore our reforms and require all earmarks in all types of bills–tax, appropriations, or authorizing–to be publicly disclosed and subject to challenge and open debate on the floor.
Since then I’ve repeatedly asked Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to work with us to correct this loophole, but there has been no action. Left with no other option, I filed a discharge petition in the House to force a vote on our reforms. Once this petition receives 218 member signatures, House rules require the majority to bring it to the House floor for an up-or-down vote.House Republicans are returning to the fiscally conservative roots that first launched us into the majority in the 1990s. Meanwhile, the Democratic leadership appears intent on repeating the same mistakes that helped bring our majority to an end. Fixing the earmark process and using the power of public scrutiny to stop wasteful pork-barrel spending is essential if we are to restore the bonds of trust between the American people and their elected leaders.
Related links to this:
Back to the Straight & Narrow?
This is Nancy Pelosi’s biggest nightmare. That petition isn’t something that Nancy Pelosi, John Murtha or David Obey want to succeed. If they get 218 signatures for this discharge petition, Democrats will be forced to either abandon their most effective vote-getting tool or defend an indefensible policy.
Congratulations to the GOP for taking steps back to their refomist roots. There’s still more than needs to be done but they’re heading in the right direction.
Democrats’ betrayal on earmarks
Should it be any surprise that the Democrats practice the politics of fraud? While running against corruption, they come in and make it easier to hide earmarks of dubious merit. This is the same bunch who ran away from the charge that they would favor a cut and run policy from Iraq only to claim that they wre elected to pursue a cut and run policy. Democrat dishonesty on the war is now matched by their dishonest in the spending of public money.
Boozman Calls for Earmark Transparency
Boozman said: “As a member of the minority party, this is a tool we needed to use in order to bring full earmark reform to the House of Representatives. The previous agreement on earmarks in appropriations bill was only the first step in making sure Congress is not wasting the money of the American taxpayers. We must now take the further step in allowing close inspection and challenges to earmarks, wherever they occur, so fiscal discipline can be reestablished and we can proudly show Americans that we are being good stewards of their hard-earned tax money. This legislation for true earmark reform and transparency deserves to see the light of day.
September 27, 2007 - 08:08 PM on September 27th, 2007
Mr. Boehner certainly has the right idea and its a shame and a disgrace that the dems (and some republicans) just don’t get it. Dems poll numbers are down, in part, because of this very thing. And liberals are still deluded in thinking that it’s all about the war.
I would beg everyone in America to email, phone, fax, or write a letter to their respective representatives demanding this reform.
Think it won’t work? Remember the Shamnesty bill when the switchboards shut down. It didn’t pass because those in power ‘got it’. Let’s do it again.
September 27, 2007 - 11:16 PM on September 27th, 2007
The really bad thing in all this is that had the Republicans been doing the right thing, instead of spending like drunken sailors ( charge that John McCain, a naval aviator) claims is an insult to drunken sailors.? they’d probably still be the majority party. They were elected to pursue a conservative fiscal policy and then turned around and started spending like Democrats.
September 28, 2007 - 07:09 AM on September 28th, 2007
I heard the best way to describe the Republicans spending: Spending like drunken Democrats.
Our Liberties are slipping away, one piece at a time. This new expansion of Gov’t healthcare just approved by Congress is a good example. The Gov’t gets bigger, and inevitably, Liberty grows smaller.
But the Left doesn’t mind any of that. They embrace tyranny…as long as they are in control of it.
September 28, 2007 - 07:16 AM on September 28th, 2007
The Democrats are liars. All those who believed that the Democrats were the clean party are stupid or are useful idiots who want a socalist, Zimbabwe like government of the US.
September 28, 2007 - 09:36 AM on September 28th, 2007
I think anyone who is willing to vote for HilLiary should have the word “Idiot” tattooed on their forehead so everyone they come in contact with can instantly know they are dealing with someone who is mentally ill or a cretin.
September 28, 2007 - 09:54 AM on September 28th, 2007
“They were elected to pursue a conservative fiscal policy and then turned around and started spending like Democrats.”
Exactly.
September 28, 2007 - 04:52 PM on September 28th, 2007
The demacrats certianly have plenty of skeletons in their closets their trying to hide