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Posted on 05/13/2014 10:59:15 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
No Ifs, No Buts, No Earmarks
Posted by Mike Ricci May 13, 2014 General
“As long as I’m here, no earmarks.”
With those words, Speaker Boehner threw a bucket of cold water on an “earmark revival” that saw top Senate Democrats pining for a return to business as usual. “I have been a fan of earmarks,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) delcared the other day, while his #2, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) revealed that he has been pushing the White House to bring them back “as a way of greasing the legislative wheels.”
Enter Speaker Boehner, who couldn’t have been clearer in his interview with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo. “I started this effort in 2006 to get rid of earmarks,” he said. “We are not going back to the nonsense that went on before then.” Watch the full exchange:
Please share this video on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ to help spread the word: Washington Democrats should be focused on jobs, not conjuring up ways to get around the earmark ban.
For now, here’s a bit of what they’re saying about the Speaker’s comments:
“Read Boehner’s lips: no new earmarks. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid wants them back. … But House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, has made clear that they’re never getting back together. … The Ohio Republican helped lead the successful effort to ban earmarks … in 2010 when House Republicans took control of the U.S. House. Earmark opponents say they encourage wasteful spending and unethical behavior.” (USA TODAY)
“John Boehner bans a return to earmarks. An earmark revival may be causing a stir in the Capitol — but John Boehner said there’s no way the House is going back to that ‘nonsense’ under his leadership. …the practice was halted in 2011 when Boehner (R-Ohio) took the speaker’s gavel, and he said there’s no looking back.” (POLITICO)
“…the speaker pushed back against the growing sentiment in Congress that it’s time to revisit pork-barrel spending, or earmarks, against which Mr. Boehner led the fight when the GOP took control of the House in 2011. Mr. Boehner has long been an opponent of earmarking, and has never requested one during his more than two decades in Congress.” (The Washington Times)
I thought getting elected did that.
"Freedom is the sure possession of those alone
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Boehner might want to ask McConnell and McCain’s what their opinion of them is before he makes a decision.../s
The recently passed Farm Bill was pork laden. They can claim they eliminate pork, but if you are awake, then you know they are liars.
“Earmarks” are what ALL legislation should be, at least in regards to the budget.
I heard Senator Inhofe from Oklahoma defend them many years ago, and he changed my mind on the subject.
The PROBLEM (or at the very least ONE of the big problems) we have is an executive branch that is given a budget for cabinets and regulatory agencies that are way, way, WAY too discretionary. An earmark is the CONGRESS, the body that is SUPPOSED to control the purse strings, ordering the executive branch to spend taxpayer money in a particular way.
Imagine if the Congress would budget the EPA in a strict manner. Or the Department of Energy? Or the DOJ?
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