Issue Position: Reforming Congress

Issue Position

Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with my colleague, Republican Congressman Jeff Flake of Arizona, to talk about an issue that concerns both of us greatly. That is, the abuse of earmarks in the United States Congress.

"Earmarking" refers to an item placed in an appropriations bill by a Member of Congress that directs money to a specific project. Alaska's "bridge to nowhere" received much scrutiny in 2005 when $398 million was allocated for a bridge to an island with few residents, but many worthwhile projects are also the result of earmarks, like the Devil's Slide bypass on the San Mateo County coast. Far too often, however, earmarks reward political supporters or provide funds to corporations without any outside review to determine if the project is necessary or could be done better or cheaper elsewhere.

This isn't a Democratic or Republican problem but rather, a practice that, over years, has grown out of control throughout government. That's why I reached out to Mr. Flake. While he and I probably disagree on more issues than we agree on, he has been a champion of earmark reform and approaches the problem from a non-partisan, good government angle. Together, we are looking at ways to repair what is wrong with the system while protecting Congress' Constitutionally-mandated function as the keeper of the government's wallet.

And we are not alone. I have joined a growing group of representatives and senators who are working on this issue. I believe that any direct funding requests should be discussed at open committee meetings, reviewed by appropriate public agencies prior to funding, and submitted with a detailed list of any campaign donor who would benefit from the earmark. Some progress was made in this direction when Speaker Nancy Pelosi took office in January 2007. Prior to her tenure, earmarks were mostly anonymous and secret. The Speaker instituted a set of ethics rules that require any appropriations bill coming to the floor for a vote to be accompanied by a detailed list of any earmarks contained in the bill.

I commend the Speaker for taking this first important step. But government, as we all know, is a slow and sometimes stubborn beast and as such, it needs to be continually prodded and urged forward.

Along with both Democratic and Republican Members of Congress, I am seeking common-sense, nonpartisan reforms to provide openness and transparency to the appropriations process. A first step will be to request an audit by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) of past defense appropriations bills to track where the earmarked money went and who it benefitted.

The Constitution defines Congress' role in appropriating money. But the founding fathers never intended the federal budget to be an ATM for special interests and campaign contributors. The American people demand accountability and I'm happy to work with anyone, from any party, who wants to bring real reform to Congress.

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