Think Progress

SOTU: Federal Earmarks Have Exploded Under Bush And GOP-Led Congress

By Think Progress on Jan 28th, 2008 at 9:17 pm

SOTU: Federal Earmarks Have Exploded Under Bush And GOP-Led Congress»

Bush said: “The people’s trust in their Government is undermined by congressional earmarks — special interest projects that are often snuck in at the last minute, without discussion or debate.”

FACT — BUSH HAS ENGAGED IN HIS OWN EARMARKING: In 2007, Bush stuffed approximately 580 earmarks worth $15.6 billion into his appropriation request for military construction and veterans affairs. Bush’s earmarks included $24 million for the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program and “$8.9 million for the Points of Light foundation, a pet project started by his father, former President George H.W. Bush.” [Washington Examiner, 11/15/07]

FACT — BUSH HAS REPEATEDLY SIGNED PORK-LADEN BILLS INTO LAW: According to the Congressional Research Service, there were 997 earmarks in the Fiscal 2000 defense appropriation bill. By the Fiscal 2005 law that Bush signed into law, there were 2506 earmarks, “more than two and half times the number contained the Fiscal 2000 bill.” In the bill funding the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, the number of earmarks grew from 291 in 2000 to 3,014 in 2005. [Lilly, 1/28/08]

FACT — EARMARKS EXPLODED UNDER THE GOP-CONTROLLED CONGRESS: When Republicans took over Congress in 1994, there were 4,000 earmarks on appropriations bills. At the end of the 109th Congress in 2005, there were 15,000. [Washington Post, 1/25/06; The Gavel, 1/28/08]

FACT — CURRENT 110TH CONGRESS HAS CUT EARMARKS IN HALF: “As promised when they took control of Congress,” in 2007, “House Democratic leaders cut in half from last year the value of earmarks in the bill, as they did in the other 11 agency spending measures.” [New York Times, 11/4/07]

Comments
7

7 Responses to “SOTU: Federal Earmarks Have Exploded Under Bush And GOP-Led Congress”

99Luf Balloons Says:

Someone PLESE stand up on the floor of the chamber and SCREAM
YOU FU(KING TRAITOR!!!!!!
January 28th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
kimmy Says:

He is not a traitor.
He is just commander in shit.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
99Luf Balloons Says:

Whitehouse IS TAKING CALLS NOW.
1-20-456-1111
January 28th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
SamR Says:

Anyone recall the bridge to nowhere. There’s one that should have been vetoed. Nice one “Mr. Prez”
January 28th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
Sabyen91 Says:

SamR, the Bridge to Nowhere was shot down by Congress. Alaska still got all that money but it wasn’t earmarked for the bridge. It will be interesting to see where it goes.
January 28th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
georgia Says:

It should be noted that this war on earmarks is really just one more step in the expansion of executive power. As seen below, the OMB considers any restrictions placed upon spending by Congress to be earmarks.

Earmarks Include:
A) Add-ons. If the Administration asks for $100 million for formula grants, for example, and Congress provides $110 million and places restrictions (such as site-specific locations) on the additional $10 million, the additional $10 million is counted as an earmark.
B) Carve-outs. If the Administration asks for $100 million and Congress provides $100 million but places restrictions on some portion of the funding, the restricted portion is counted as an earmark.
C) Funding provisions that do not name grantee, but are so specific that only one grantee can qualify for funding.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/ omb/ memoranda/ fy2007/ m07-09.pdf
January 28th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
georgia Says:

It should also be noted that it was the 110th Congress that passed the “”Honest Leadership and Open Government Act”, which (among other things) allowed Senators to raise a point of order against a specific item added by conference committee, without objecting to an entire bill, thereby controlling earmarks but leaving the power where it belongs, with Congress.
January 29th, 2008 at 10:54 am