September 20, 2007
Chris Hackett Calls On Carney To Stop The Pork
Dallas Chris Hackett today called on Congressman Carney to sign a petition to let the sun shine in on the pork-barrel spending tucked in larger spending bills. Commonly known as earmarks, these provisions direct funds to be spent on specific projects, often in the Congressman's District and involving campaign contributors.
A story in yesterday s Roll Call titled Mr. Murtha's Money, told how "every private entity that Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) favored with an earmark in this year s defense bill recently has given political money to the lawmaker..." Murtha backed Carney's Congressional campaign and Carney returned the favor by backing Murtha's failed bid for a top Democrat leadership post earlier this year.
Hackett, a conservative Republican who announced last month that he is challenging Carney in Pennsylvania s 10th Congressional District said, "Projects that don't add any economic value are authorized by Congress to buy the votes of constituents. That type of thing needs to be eliminated and signing this petition would move us one step closer to allowing those earmarks to be exposed to the light of day."
"During his campaign," Hackett continued, "and since being elected, Chris Carney has promised to support openness and transparency. Now it's time to put his money where his mouth is."
Background information:
In June 2007, House Republicans rallied to force Democrats to drop their plans to pass appropriations bills laden with slush funds for secret earmarks. Democrats reluctantly agreed to require disclosure and debate on earmarks in appropriations bills. But the Democrats' fix did not apply to tax and authorizing bills, which have historically been vehicles for some of the most indefensible earmarks churned out by Congress.
A recent example is an authorizing bill that was the vehicle for an illegitimate earmark requested by Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) that shifted $23 million in taxpayer funds to the so-called National Drug Intelligence Center a facility located in Rep. Murtha's district that was declared "expensive and duplicative" by independent government analysts.
Boehner and other GOP leaders on June 12, 2007 introduced H.Res. 479, legislation that would fully restore the reforms implemented by the Republican-led House in 2006. It would require all earmarks in all types of bills -- tax, appropriations, or authorizing -- to be publicly disclosed and subject to challenge and open debate on the floor.
Since June, Boehner has repeatedly asked Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to schedule the legislation for a vote, but there has no action, prompting Boehner to file the discharge petition today.