March 25, 2021
In the chess game of Congress, Republicans have decided to take a risky move among a Democrat-controlled House. Recently, House GOP members voted by secret ballot to reinstate earmarks. The 102-84 vote was surprising, but some Republicans see this as a way to divert some government spending toward their districts.
Earmarks have spanned the entire history of Congress by allowing lawmakers to create spending projects that would specifically target their district or state. These are placed in larger spending bills so that members do not have to vote directly on that project, but rather, they are voting for the entire bill. Members can tout their accomplishments on the campaign trail to appeal to their voters and remain in office. However, earmarks haven’t always promised good fortune. They have cost some elected officials their jobs and even landed them in jail.
Beginning in the 1990s, a spotlight was shone on the unsavory practices of earmarks. For instance, California Congressman Duke Cunningham used his position as Chair of the House Appropriations Committee to funnel money straight into his own pockets allowing him to live an extravagant lifestyle. A federal probe found that he had explicit notes on who he needed to bribe to deliver on an earmark. In 2005, he spent 7 years in prison after pleading guilty to tax evasion, conspiracy to commit bribery, mail fraud, and wire fraud. Although this was one of the most famous instances, many more bubbled up during that time.
In an effort to bring down the national deficit, bipartisan calls were made to ban earmarks in 2010 and 2011, including from then-President Obama. However, responsible budgeting never happened as evidenced by the recent COVID spending packages. Now that the House has given up, the Senate may follow suit. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell mentioned in an interview with Fox News that earmarks are still “very unpopular among Republicans.” Yet, South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham had other thoughts: “Democrats do it; if we don’t do it, we’re stupid.”
Besides the historical corruption and the additional amount of debt this will bring to our $28 trillion deficit, we know that Democrats will not give Republicans a fair shake of earmarks. House Democrats have tried their best to silence GOP members by changing the House rules to make it more difficult for the minority to offer amendments or certain procedural motions. Even when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi allows Republicans to offer amendments on the House floor, they are few and far between while Democrats are allowed to offer upwards of 40 amendments. This will not be any different for Republicans wishing to place their earmarks into Democrat-controlled spending bills.
Eagle Forum has great concerns about how earmarks would increase federal spending, allow for more corruption, and weaken the chances of Republicans gaining the majority in both chambers. We will keep you updated on how this process plays out.
