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By Paul M. Weyrich
March 12, 2008
The House Budget Committee currently is considering the Federal budget for Fiscal Year 2009. On March 5, Republicans on the Committee offered an amendment to the budget “to establish an immediate moratorium on all taxpayer-funded earmarks and create a bipartisan select committee to identify ways to permanently change the spending process in Congress.” It seems that after years of fiscal irresponsibility, Republicans in the House of Representatives have finally learned a few lessons. Of course, they had to learn the hard way by losing power.
In 2006 many House Democrats pledged to eliminate or seriously curtail what is known as “pork-barrel spending.” However, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) consistently has resisted calls for change or the elimination of the controversial system. Because of these pledges, Republican leaders hoped to create a bi-partisan group of lawmakers willing to permanently end earmarks.
Unfortunately, when the amendment was offered to the Budget Committee last week, it was voted down on a vote of 21-16. Every Democrat on the Committee voted against it, including some who promised to end earmarks in 2006. This is truly disappointing but has come to be expected from the party in power. As I noted in my column yesterday, House Democrats have not kept their promise to overhaul the ethics rules governing Members’ conduct and relationships with lobbyists.
The real loser here is not the Republican Party. It is the American taxpayer who actively participates in our political system and is all too aware of the problems associated with earmarks in recent years. Many have grown increasingly frustrated with the intransigence of our elected leaders in Congress and their unwillingness to reform themselves. It is not difficult to see through the smoke and mirrors emanating from the public relations machines on Capitol Hill. But it is discouraging to hear high-minded rhetoric about reform year after year without ever seeing results.
The Republicans would be wise to offer this amendment as many times as they can in the next year. At a minimum it should be brought up in debate to maintain the focus on the corruption which pervades the earmarking process and allows Members financially to reward political donors and friends in their home districts, often through meaningless projects. But Republican commitment to this issue is not enough. Individual Democrats must come around to upholding their promises and restoring their integrity, if not for their own benefit, then for the benefit of the American taxpayer. Otherwise they may face the same problems in upcoming elections that the Republicans faced in 2004.
Paul M. Weyrich is Chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation.
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