Dozens of Republicans vote for failed bid to revive 'pork barrel spending'
By Susan Ferrechio | November 14, 2014 | 2:30 pm
House Republicans on Friday blocked a move to return earmarks to the congressional appropriations process, although dozens voted in favor of lifting the ban.
In a private organizational meeting, the GOP voted 145-67 against ending a four-year-old prohibition on inserting earmarks in legislation, which prior to 2010 lawmakers had used to send billions of federal dollars to their home districts.
The measure was introduced by Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., who argued that the dearth of such designated funding has created an unleveled playing field with the Obama administration. He argued that it makes it much harder to pass legislation without the “sweetener” of earmarks to draw in reluctant lawmakers.
Many lawmakers have been seeking a reinstatement of earmarks to bring home federal dollars to fund important projects in their districts.
But House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, who led the effort to ban earmarks, has told lawmakers he will not allow them as long as he has the gavel.
Earmarks spending has long been criticized by taxpayer watchdog groups who say it pads spending legislation with billions of dollars for projects that are potentially wasteful and do not receive the scrutiny given to legislation.
“Remember the 'Bridge to Nowhere'?” Rep. John Fleming said when asked why he voted against lifting the earmark ban.
The $398 million project to build a bridge in Alaska for 50 residents was inserted into a 2005 spending bill by Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, and the late Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska.
It was eventually stripped from the bill, but not before becoming a symbol of the wasteful pork barrel spending that some believe at least contributed to heavy Republican losses in 2006 and a Democratic takeover of Congress.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/dozens-of-republicans-vote-for-failed-bid-to-revive-pork-barrel-spending/article/2556202
