Since the election of a Republican Congress in 2010, Congressional earmarks have been all but dead. Yet, somehow, Democratic members of Congress are securing funding for special projects anyway. How? With a little help from President Obama.
As Roll Call reports today, Hawaii Senators Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka (both Democrats) issued a press release touting a $250 million giveaway for a rail project in their state; Patty Murray (D-WA) also touted a $65 million grant for her state. Where did the money come from? It was pre-earmarked in the Obama budget. “Clearly lawmakers are taking credit for projects that were already slated to receive funding but did it in a very earmark-ish manner,” explained Steve Ellis of Taxpayers for Common Sense.
Inouye’s spokesman predictably denied that this was earmarking. “The fiscal year 2013 appropriations bills will contain no earmarks, but they will certainly contain funding for dozens of projects that are important to individual Members and to their constituents,” he said.
How convenient. President Obama, who was against earmarks before he was apparently for them, is the driving force here. Earmarks are the glue that holds together the Democratic coalition – it’s all back-scratching and pork-barrel spending. Were earmarks really to die, Democrats would have no way to get their friends on board with their big-spending projects. So President Obama is lending a hand.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.