A decade after Congress eliminated earmarks after years of bipartisan opposition to the practice and outrage over the excess and influence it fostered, House Democrats are bringing a version of earmarks back.
Republicans have a decision to make: Do they reverse course in order to take advantage of the new way to fund projects?
House Republicans are divided on the matter.
Congress placed a ban on earmarks, the practice of allowing members of Congress to direct spending for certain programs or projects in their own districts while circumventing the normal appropriations process, in 2011. They are often negatively described as "pork barrel" spending.
Former President Barack Obama campaigned against earmarks in 2008, pointing to money aimed at expensive projects like the "bridge to nowhere" in Alaska that was meant to connect one town to an airport but was never completed. Other critics say that the process fosters corruption: In 2006, California Rep. Randy Cunningham was sentenced to eight years in prison for taking bribes in order to deliver spending via earmarks.
House Appropriations Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro last month announced that her committee will accept "community project funding" requests from members, which is essentially a revamped version of earmarks. The new process includes new transparency measures and bans those funds from going to for-profits, instead only allowing state and local government or nonprofit recipients.
Many Republicans are extremely vocal about their opposition to earmarks. House Republican Conference rules say that "no Member shall request a congressional earmark, limited tax benefit, or limited tariff benefit, as such terms have been described in the Rules of the House."
"Earmarks oftentimes function as a currency for corruption in Washington," Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz told the Washington Examiner. "They get people to vote for things that are unprincipled in order to get a payoff back home. I think the country knows that. It's why they were banned."
But some heavy hitters in the conference think that earmarks should be brought back and are quietly making the case for it.
Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole has long voiced support for earmarks.
"Part of the debate is: Do you want to be unilaterally disarmed?" he recently told the Oklahoman. "In my view, they're a useful tool and an appropriate tool, and I certainly never minded scrutiny on anything I ever did."
Republican Appropriations Committee ranking member Rep. Kay Granger of Texas also reportedly argued in favor of allowing Republicans to participate in earmarks.
On Monday evening, Republicans held a widely attended meeting to discuss the prospect of allowing earmarks, but the conference has not decided how to handle the Democrats' rule change.
Texas Rep. Kevin Brady, ranking member on the House Ways and Means Committee who helped put an end to earmarks because of the abuses and how it overwhelmed the legislative process, told the Washington Examiner that he is listening to reforms bring proposed by Republicans.
On the arguments for bringing back earmarks, Brady said: "First, the constitutional argument for Congress, we make the spending decision is valid. Secondly, Republicans are looking at restrictions beyond what the Democrats are proposing to make sure there is integrity, you know, and transparency throughout it all."
While he is "not yet convinced" that the practice should be brought back, Brady noted: "Congressional districts that are by and large poorer than others tend to have the greatest needs and rely upon a member of Congress, you know, providing that help to that local port or that help after a hurricane natural disaster."
Republican leadership is staying neutral on the issue as the conference works out its disagreements and is turning the focus back on Democrats.
"One thing I think that's universal was we share a lot of concern about the abuses that happened in the past. We don't want to see those abuses brought back," House Minority Whip Steve Scalise said Tuesday. "It would have been helpful if Democrats would have talked to us about what they're doing and if there's a better way to do it."
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Earmarks are back. Republicans have a dilemma over the 'pork barrel' - Colorado Springs Gazette
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