Bringing Home the Bacon? Earmarks Challenged by Arizona Reps

What the heck is an earmark? Aren’t our representatives supposed to bring home the bacon or, federal money for state projects? What is corruption and what is good representation?

What’s earmarking and what does it have to do with lobbying?

When lobbyists persuade lawmakers to adopt their cause, legislators often use a large funding bill to reserve the money. This tactic of creating a line item or, earmark, does not provide for open debate, as a separate bill or amendment would.

Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona says that the problem is that it’s not public - the American people are not usually privy to the projects that lawmakers fund via earmarks.

McCain may sometime call for a vote on every individual earmark, a process that will take a lot of time, but time he feels is worth it. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R- Tennessee), McCain and Tom Coburn (R- Oklahoma) write, "Even though votes on earmarks will undoubtedly be quite time-consuming, we sincerely believe that American taxpayers are entitled to a more thorough debate and disclosure about how their money is being spent."

Arguments over earmarking

The House Appropriations Committee contends that earmarks are declining, since earmarks in fiscal 2006 spending bills declined 14 percent to $17 billion from $19.8 billion in 2005.

But critics note that the decline is only due to stalled appropriations bills, not an actual decrease in earmarking. Those in favor of stopping earmarking and limiting lobbying say that earmarks have increased remarkably in the last ten years.

But other lawmakers feel that earmarks are the only way to get funding for local and state projects that have been neglected.

In the House

In the House, fellow Arizonian Representative Jeff Flake (R) is continuing the cause. On May 24, 2006, he tried to remove 12 of over 400 earmarks from the fiscal 2007 Agriculture Appropriations Bill; he targeted those that he considered particularly flagrant examples of unnecessary spending, including $229,000 for dairy education in Iowa and $180,000 for hyroponic tomato research in Ohio.

But Flake failed to delete even a single earmark from the bill. What’s the problem? Earmarking is entrenched in the lawmaking system. If members vote to delete someone else’s earmark, chances are their own earmarks won’t pass the next time around. Further, many representatives consider earmarking to be an important part of their job; their philosophy is that they were elected to benefit their constituents - to bring home the bacon or, pork, as earmarks are often called.

When is it corruption and when is it good representation?

McCain and Flake say that working for one’s constituents is one thing, but unabashed spending on local projects is something else. They both feel that the taxpayers should know where their money is going.

That’s why Flake considered his effort a success. Although he did not remove any earmarks from the agriculture bill, he brought them onto the floor, forcing the sponsors to fight for their projects out in the open. Making the process more public, they say, is a victory.

But some feel that the attempt to end earmarks is a waste of time. Republican Representative Henry Bonilla says that lawmakers should go after wasteful entitlement spending instead. Bonilla further contends that money that isn’t spent on earmarks will simply go to bureaucrats who will dole it out instead. He prefers elected representatives to decide where the money goes.

But McCain and Flake disagree. They feel that the money saved on earmarks could help to pay down the deficit or better fund worthwhile projects, like No Child Left Behind.

What do you think?

How do you feel about your tax dollars going to earmarked projects that are largely secret? Do you think that Congress should take the time to vote on each and every earmark? Is it only "pork" when it’s money for someone else’s state?

Your input matters

Your representatives DO care what you think. Especially now -- 2006 is an election year and many representatives will be looking to reconnect with their constituents. Let your congressmen and women know what you think! Give your senators a piece of your mind! To find your reps, click here.

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Article Posted on: 5/28/2006