. Earmarking is about whose discretion it is to make spending decisions. Do elected members of Congress decide how taxes are spent, or do unelected bureaucrats and Obama administration officials?
It’s true that this is a debate about discretion, but some in Congress are confused about discretion among whom. This is not a struggle between the executive branch and Congress but between the American people and Washington. Do the American people have the right to spend their own money and keep local decisions at the local level or does the federal government know best? Earmarks are a Washington-knows-best solution. An earmark ban would tell the American people that Congress gets it. After all, it’s their money, not ours.
An earmark moratorium would not result in Congress giving up one iota of its spending power. In any event, Republicans should be fighting over how to cut government spending, not how to divide it up.
Thank You for making my point of defunding and defeanging Gov’ Agencies. Sen. Coburn, just because the American People have give the Congress the Power to spend our money does not mean you MUST spend it.
I guess you haven’t heard Senator Coburn WE ARE BROKE.
Until Congress starts seriously talking about repealing obamacare they are all liars.
Good point by Sen Coburn! We need to end earmarks and cut the size of government!!!!! Not freeze hiring in Government!
4. Earmarking is bad politics
If the Senate GOP wants to send a signal that they don’t get it and are not listening they can reject an earmark moratorium. For Republicans, earmarks are the ultimate mixed message. We’ll never be trusted to be the party of less spending while we’re rationalizing more spending through earmarks. The long process of restoring fiscal sanity in Washington begins with saying no to pork.
We will soon know if the RINO Senators are able to kick the earmark addicts.
Let the states regulate themselves. Competition in today's world will resolve any imbalances. I'd be willing to accept the resultant risk if it would in any way constrain our out-of-control Gov't.
What the earmarks whores are not talking about is the real damage earmarks are doing, in helping to get terrible bills like Obamacare passed. So it’s not the cost of the earmarks, its that they are used to buy votes and pass legislation that will have a negative impact on all Americans.
Earmarks are bribes for votes and a way to bury the bribe in thousands of pages of drivel. The earmarks seldom have any connection to the bill they are hidden it.
Bad politics indeed. We are expecting transparency, everything appropriated needs to stand on it’s own merits and in broad daylight. If the GOP doesn’t eliminate earmarks, it’s the first indication of politics as usual and the first step towards the death of the GOP and the emergence of a conservative party in the country.
I agree that the debate over earmarks is a distraction. In fact I would call it misdirection. And after they eliminate them, however temporarily, they can crow about it while avoiding the heavy lifting.
What I hate about them is the way they’re used to either pay back their backers or to pay their families in “created” jobs.
The Congress needs to show that it is serious about American concern by eliminating earmarks and IMMEDIATELY taking a 20% pay cut!
The Congress needs to show that it is serious about American concerns by eliminating earmarks and IMMEDIATELY taking a 20% pay cut!
Earmarks are not just a bribe to the politician to vote for a questionable bill, they’re ultimately a bribe to the voters.
The politician trots back to their home state and brags about the millions and billions that they’ve gained at the expense of the taxpayer to get reelected.
Earmarks have corrupted the relationship of a politician to his constituents.
Like it or not congress but getting rid of earmarks has become a litmus test for many Americans as to whether you are SERIOUS about changing your ways this time.
Senator Coburn, I am an Oklahoman and you represent me in the U.S. Senate. I agree with you 100%. Now, could you do me a favor and please explain this to the other idiot Senator from Oklahoma James Inhofe who said on KTOK radio this morning that earmarks are in the Constitution?
No matter what the Supposed pros and cons are, the reality is earmarks equal donations to their campaigns.....period.
Spot on. BTTT