18-Oct-2010 | By Bob Beauprez, Editor-in-Chief
If the November election turns out as many are predicting, the American people will be sending a message, along with a lot of freshman Republican members of Congress, to Washington. When the new Congress convenes in January 2011, Congress will face a series of significant challenges. The American people will expect Congress to get the economy back on track and get people back to work, rein in government spending, repeal the unpopular health care law, secure our borders and face many of the international threats head on. In addition to these challenges, the new Congress will face the question about whether to continue the past practice of earmarks. When I first came to Congress after the 2002 election, the GOP leadership explained that earmarks could be a way for a freshman member to have a positive impact on his district and to aide in funding important projects. And, while I requested earmarks during my time in Congress, I now believe that this practice must come to an end.
A Line of Sight has previously covered how various kinds of Congressional earmarks violate the public trust. This is true with respect to earmarks for politically connected for-profit corporations; non-profits and charities; in cases where Members use taxpayer funds for charities, even when they refuse to personally support these charities; and for earmarks forstate and local governments. A Line of Sight has even highlighted the corrupt practice of "circular fundraising," where Members of Congress obtain earmarks for an organization, which in turn subsequently donates money to that Members’ reelection campaign.
There is another reason why earmarks violate the public trust. Simply stated, earmarks have become a distraction for Congress. The challenges facing the next Congress will demand the full attention of every Member. As a nation, we can no longer afford to have Members of Congress and their staffs, spend so much time, resources, and effort chasing taxpayer-funded earmarks.
The challenges facing our nation are now so great and the failure to address them presents a future that is so dire that Congress should forgo future earmarks. America needs leaders who are committed to fiscal responsibility. The first step towards fiscal austerity must begin with Congress giving up earmarks so that Congress can begin to earn back the trust of the American people. If Congress is not first willing to end the practice of earmarks, Congress will be unable to ask the American people to sacrifice in making the necessary budget cuts elsewhere.
America had a nearly $1.3 trillion deficit for the fiscal year (2010) that just ended on September 31st. During that same year, taxpayers footed a $15 billion bill to fund nearly14,000 Congressional earmarks for things like “training the next generation of weather forecasters” ($180,000) and the “Institute for Seafood Studies” ($325,000).
I know the reaction of some of my former colleagues will be to say, “Well, Bob, earmarks are such a small part of the fiscal problem.” While that may generally be true, it ignores the reality that the American people do not trust Congress. Congress will need to make many tough decisions to get America’s fiscal house in order. This will require the support of the American people, so Congress must make its own sacrifices - by eliminating earmarks that often aide in reelection - before they ask the American people to sacrifice. Governing requires leading by example, and there is no better example than self-sacrifice.
Besides, Members of Congress no longer have the luxury of focusing on these kinds of projects anymore. Congress’s time and effort should be spent on addressing the priorities of the American people and the big challenges that American people expect their elected officals to face head on.
