Friday, March 12, 2010
Seeking to bolster Congress’ miserable public image, House Democrats have proposed banning earmarks—the allocation of federal dollars to specific projects or recipients without a public hearing—to private businesses. Democrats want to demonstrate they are serious about cleaning up the pay-to-play reputation in Washington, especially after a recent investigation reported the existence of a “widespread perception” that businesses must contribute to political campaigns if they want special breaks from lawmakers.
The ban on earmarks could save more than a billion dollars in the annual budget. But implementing such a restriction could prove difficult. Democrats in the Senate reacted coolly to the idea, and without the upper house’s buy-in, the House ban would lead to difficult negotiations between the two houses of Congress when it comes time to pass a budget.
Also, House Republicans refused to be left out of the gamesmanship to repair a “broken” Washington. They offered a ban on all earmarks, not just those awarded to corporations. This would include non-profit organizations, universities, local governments and other recipients.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Leaders in House Block Earmarks to Corporations (by Eric Lichtblau, New York Times)
Earmark Ban Ruffles Feathers (by Jake Sherman and Jen Dimascio, Politico)
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