Today, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) proclaimed, "Republicans worked together to demand an end to secret slush funds for earmarks (The Hill). Question: Why did so many Republicans wait until after they lost control of Congress to trumpet about secret earmarks?
For years, both parties have benefited from handing them out, so earmarks are here to stay. The next best thing, as we've all known for years, is full and timely disclosure.
In January 2007, the Democrat-controlled House passed a rule (to endure two years) that didn't require ideal disclosure but did require more than has ever been required. Citizens Against Government Waste said of the rule:
“The House ethics package is a long-overdue improvement that will shine light on the corrupting practice of earmarking.... The [Democrats'] earmark restrictions go much further than the rules change passed by the Republican-led House in September 2006."
In September 2006, the Republican-controlled Congress passed a rule (to endure a couple months) that the Sunlight Foundation called "a paltry earmark reform measure that will shine some light onto some earmarks" (i.e., a sham).
Neither party seems set on full disclosure, and neither party seems starved for earmarks.
For example, according to a spreadsheet by Taxpayers for Common Sense (TCS), earmarks in the House Defense Authorization bill (2007) contained requested earmarks totaling $8.3 billion:
- Democrats requested $4.02 billion,
- Republicans requested $3.86 billion.
- Unidentified congressmen requested another $744 million.
The TCS spreadsheet on the Senate Defense Authorization bill shows requested earmarks totaling $5.6 billion:
- The whole committee requested earmarks totaling $2.6 billion.
- Democrats requested $1.53 billion.
- Republicans requested $1.26 billion.
- Independent Joe Lieberman requested $191 million.
Billions more in earmarks are scattered throughout other bills. Perhaps the House can't agree on reforms, because most members prefer the old, in-the-shadows way of getting earmarks.
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