Lawmakers should disclose the unnecessary funding they bring home

Published September 28, 2005

If members of Congress are going to waste your money running for re-election, the least they can do is acknowledge it. A measure passed by the Senate last week would be a move in that direction.

Senators are working on the agriculture appropriations bill, one of the big spending bills that make up the federal budget. The bill is likely to include many "earmarks," better known as pork-barrel projects.

Earmarks don't go through the normal process for funding. They don't have to compete with other projects that may be more important to the nation. The funds are set aside or "earmarked" for them in the bill by specific members of Congress. These are the projects in their districts that they want to be able to go home and brag about as they campaign for re-election.

Last year's agricultural appropriations bill included 512 earmarks that cost taxpayers a total of $526 million, according to one watchdog group.

The problem is that these earmarks are woven into the fine print in these massive bills. They don't come to light until after the bills are passed.

But senators passed an amendment to the appropriations bill last week that would require the earmarks to be identified once the House and Senate agree on a final version of the bill. In other words, the measure will shine the light of publicity on these wasteful expenditures.

Senators who voted for this measure, including South Carolina's senators, should be congratulated. But it's just a start.

One senator opposed the bill because he didn't want to set a precedent for other appropriations bills. But that's exactly what should happen.

Millions are wasted through earmarks in each appropriations bill. The recent highway bill was particularly egregious and contained the poster child of all pork projects, a bridge to an island in Alaska that has a population of about 50. This bridge will cost more than $240 million.

The amendment adopted last week should be a precedent for all appropriations legislation. It should be required on each and every spending bill.

User Comments

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Amen, Mr. Kirby!! In the recently signed, multi-billion dollar transportation bill, you have to question why SC's two senators would aprove such a farce while SC didn't get its share of the pork. I'm afraid if you eliminated all pork in politics you'd find yourself with all brand new politicians holding office.
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I think that ALL "earmarked funds" should be eliminated. I also think that ALL use of our money should be strictly held to account. If we, as taxpayers, kept our books as carelessly as does congress, we would be bankrupt in no time. There should be ZERO "pork barrel" spending. Any congressperson, who is so ashamed of their request that they try to hide it, should be removed from congress. If we could get rid of this reckless spending, the budget would balance.
Wm Kirby
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