House Democrats Ban Earmarks to Corporations

[kpete]

Source: New York Times

House Democrats Ban Earmarks to Corporations
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: March 10, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Democratic leaders announced Wednesday that they will ban the much-criticized practice of using annual spending bills to direct pet projects to companies that often return the favor with campaign contributions.

Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., chairman of the Appropriations panel, told reporters that he hopes the step will mean 1,000 fewer earmarks and break the linkage between campaign contributions and earmarks that has sparked intense criticism and resulted in ethics probes of several lawmakers.

But the move sparked strong opposition from Senate Appropriations panel chair Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, his Senate counterpart and a long-standing defender of earmarking. He issued a tartly worded response defending the current system and calling Obey's move ''quizzical.''

The election-year step comes after the ethics committee investigated seven members of a Pentagon spending panel for rewarding earmarks to companies whose executives and hired lobbyists showered them with campaign cash. The panel found no linkage and absolved the lawmakers.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/03/10/us/politics/AP-US-Congress-Earmarks.html?_r=2

[Blue Owl]

1. But not to people

GOTCHA!

Thanks for the new loophole, Supreme Court 5!

[OregonBlue]

2. Good for the House. I don't think the Senate can pass earmarks on their own. Too bad for Inouye.