The Need for Earmark Reform is Now
In 1938, Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered one of America’s first nation-wide radio addresses. In that historic address he said, “The only sure bulwark of continuing liberty is a government strong enough to protect the interests of the people, and a people strong enough and well enough informed to maintain its sovereign control over the government.” These words of our past should serve as a reminder to every member of Congress. Our primary goal is to protect the interests of the American people, and keep them informed about where and how their tax dollars are being spent.
Last November, the American people sent a clear message to members of Congress. You want an honest, open government that isn’t spending your tax dollars, through earmarks for secret projects, anonymously buried in lengthy legislation and hidden from the public. The American people deserve transparency in spending, and that means transparency across the board.
We can look to Congressman Charlie Rangel, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, for a perfect example of why we need earmark reform in government bills. He earmarked $2 million for the “Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service at the City College of New York. The center is seeking donations through a ‘20-page glossy brochure’ to restore a ‘magnificent Harlem limestone townhouse’ that will provide a ‘well-furnished office for Congressman Rangel.’” (OpinionJournal’s Political Diary, 7/20/07).
And let’s not stop there. Congressman Paul Kanjorski is under fire for steering $9.25 million in tax dollars to a company owned by his family. According to one leading Washington newspaper, the company, Cornerstone Technologies, ‘was formed by his nephew, Peter Kanjorski, and a scientist Bruce Conrad, who were joined in the company by four of the congressman’s other nephews and his daughters…[S]eparate from House rules, federal law prohibits members of Congress from contracting with the federal government.’ (Politico, 9/5/07)
We all remember the news reports concerning the “Bridge to Nowhere”. To address these loopholes, Republicans reformed the earmark process, requiring full transparency and the ability to challenge earmarks in all types of bills. Unfortunately, the Democrats chose to roll back these reforms at the beginning of this Congress.
Time after time, Washington liberals continue to show they are more concerned with funding their own private interests secretly than living up to the promises they made about open government at the beginning of this Congress.
In June, I joined my conservative colleagues to introduce a resolution, H.Res. 479, that would fully restore the reforms implemented by Republicans in 2006. But so far, Democrat leaders refuse to put the resolution to a vote.
That is why we began a legislative procedure, known as a discharge petition, that would override Democratic Leadership and bring this earmark reform legislation to the House Floor. I am seeking to close all loopholes that allow the current system to remain broken. If a member of Congress is willing to spend your hard-earned money on a project, they have an obligation to stand by that project and explain its value and purpose.
The American people need someone to stand up for them, and it is clear that the new Majority in Congress isn’t willing to give up their hidden handouts and do the right thing by reforming and making the earmark process honest. I have signed this petition to prove to the people of Central Texas that I will fight relentlessly to give them the open, honest government that was promised at the beginning of this Congress. I hope that my fiscally conservative colleagues from both political parties will join me and sign this discharge petition, showing the American people we will not stand for the continued fleecing of this nation.
October 4th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
I find it absolutely appalling that you rail against abuse of the earmarks system in Congress, and fiscal irresponsibility while voting to send President Bush a blank check to continue the war in Iraq.
At the same time you are denying our service members, many of which reside in your district, and thus have a responsibility for, an appropriate amount of recovery time from operations in Iraq, and denying children low cost health insurance.
Shame on you Congressman Carter.
October 8th, 2007 at 2:47 am
I believe we need all these reforms badly. I strongly believe that before our leaders should think about things outside of our “fence”, they should fix first that are those within us.
October 28th, 2007 at 11:44 pm
I think Americans must be more happy. Just stop the war in Iraq
November 25th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
How ironic that a Republican is now calling for earmark reform. Ironic because the number of earmarks exploded after the Republicans took control of Congress. In fact, the use of earmarks exploded roughly tenfold (10 times!!!) over the dozen years after Republicans took control of Congress.
I wonder why Republicans are now “getting religion”?
December 10th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
I think that reform is good. America needs to improve its ways and start taking ebtter care of its people and lands.
December 17th, 2007 at 10:51 am
I would have to agree with that. America needs to start to focus on itself rather then the rest of the worlds problems.
December 23rd, 2007 at 9:38 pm
I have to disagree. The time for earmark reform was 10 years ago when republicans took control of Congress.
$9 trillion in debt? We don’t have a shovel big enough to dig us out of this mess. There has to be drastic cuts in the federal budget. Don’t worry the American people will stand up to the plate and take care of those that need help and scorn those that defrauded the government welfare ticket for years… It is not the governments place to take care of people from cradle to grave. We’re big kids now. We can take care of ourselves if government will stay out of our way.
I guess we can say better late than never though so more power to you Congressman…. Lets not forget to secure the borders though… Fight to repeal the part of the omnibus spending bill that just passed that takes out funding for the fence…
Thank you
Kerry
December 23rd, 2007 at 10:49 pm
John great blog .. you sound like someone with common sence! we need to get back to the Goverment listening to its people! Give Em Hell Sir…. Wade Field Dixon
February 16th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Somehow earmarks must be abolished. Congress already has the lowest approval rate than any I have ever seen. If the earmark project is worth the money, then vote on it.
Cong. Carter, you might consider joining Reps. Flake, John Campbell, Hensarling and Sens. Coburn and DeMint to refuse to accept earmarks.
February 24th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Our Representatives in Congress who procure funds as local “earmarks” are doing their duty to their
constituents to reclaim the money that is extracted from us as taxpayers by the Federal Government
before the cash gets piped upstream to be unilaterally squandered by the Executive Office. In effect,
the earmarks are a rebate on the taxes that are extracted from the citizen.
The attack against the earmark process is presented as a means to reduce Federal spending. In fact,
the elimination of the earmark alone does not accomplish this as the taxes are already collected, but
would most expediently increase the revenue to the Executive Office. As such, the attack on the
earmark is a ruse to increase Federal revenues and reduce the tangible benefit to the citizenry.
The citizen should demand that their Representative endeavor to recover as much of their money as
possible. Then we should concentrate our outrage on the core of the taxation issue; Federal spending,
borrowing, and the devaluation of the dollar by printing money out of thin air. After such a time, then
the earmark issue can be realistically addressed.
February 26th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Our Congressman should endeavor to recover as much as the citizen’s money as possible via earmarks, before it is piped upstream to be squandered by the Executive office. When Federal unconstitutional spending is stopped - then the earmark issue can be realistically addressed.
March 10th, 2008 at 9:38 am
This was a great experiment…Keep up the GOod work man..just added your RSS feed for new updates and discuessions..
March 23rd, 2008 at 2:19 pm
I think the earmarks are an important way for our country to dig our way out of all this debt. We should have an easy way to remove any parts of a bill that are wasteful. Shawn A Hearn
May 14th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
The confusion of a staff member is measured by the length of his memos.
– New York Times, Jan. 20, 1981
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May 19th, 2008 at 2:43 am
I agree that the USA shoudl start taking ebtter care stuff inside its own borders like health care, infrstructure and all that other good stuff that has traditinally made the USA a desirable place to live in.
June 30th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
In regard to the expressed distaste for hidden “unapportioned distribution” of the labor of the citizen via earmarks, I am interested in the recent passage of HR 2642, in June 2008.
The Bill was advertised as an “Emergency War Funding” for approx $23billion. But if you actually read that bill, everything in it amounts to what I guess $1trillion. I am laboring to pay my taxes and don’t have the time to add up all the allocations in HR 2642.
It seems that only a portion of the bill which might best be recieved by the sheeple was advertised, and the full scope of the appropriations was purposefully hidden.
As my Representative, I would appreciate Mr. Carter elaborating on the full scope of HR 2642 for my benefit.
June 30th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Regarding my previous post; Perhaps “unadvertised” would be a better work than “hidden”, in my reference to a lack of information being provided to the citizen.
July 1st, 2008 at 12:09 pm
BTW the name of the bill 2642 is “Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (the war supplemental)”, and NOT “Emergency War Funding Act”.
This legislation is misrepresented, as it contains appropriations for Unemployment appropriations to the States in excess of 6% unemployment; disaster relief for Louisiana; flood control appropriations for the Missippi river; appropriations to the FBI; military housing; financial aid to Mexico, Darfur, et al; and plurality of other issues and departments that would take and entire day to even grasp the extent of.
I would just like to have the legislation reported to me by its proper name instead of being propogandized.