During a closed-door House Republican Conference meeting on November 14, 2014, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) proposed reinstituting earmarks for “state, locality (including county and city governments), or a public utility or other public entity.” His effort had startlingly significant amount of support in the Republican caucus: the proposal was defeated by a vote of 145-67. Rep. Rogers’ act netted him the dubious honor of being named Citizen Against Government Waste (CAGW)’s “Porker of the Month” for November 2014. Rep. Rogers is a repeat offender, also earning the award in April 2012, after his first failed attempt to end the earmark ban on March 30, 2012.
John Locke was Right….
When he said “I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts.” Partisan ideology, never-ending campaigning, and empty rhetoric is no substitute for leadership, competence, and good management. The Keystone Cop character of the “we first heard about it when we read about it in the news” Obama administration is […]
Murkowski’s Folly
The first rule of communications is getting the message right. A March 11, 2014 op-ed by former Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt appearing in the Los Angeles Times provided a unique glimpse into how messaging used by politicians can shift over time. The editorial detailed the push in the 1990s by former Alaska Senators […]
ARC Gets Earmark Boost
Those pork-barrel spenders are at it again. This time, they increased the President’s fiscal year (FY) 2014 budget request for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) by 23 percent, from $64.6 million to $80 million, in H.R. 3547, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which was signed into law on January 17, 2014.
Put a Fork In it! Earmarks are Dead … Almost.
In a November 4, 2013 blog published in The Hill titled “Congress should return to responsible earmark policy,” former Rep. George Nethercutt (R-Wa.) claimed that failure to do so would create “purist legislators who largely disdain compromise, resist seniority, and refuse Congressional earmarks.” Rep. Nethercutt is correct that while earmarks account for a small amount […]
And Here’s To You, Mrs. Lautenberg!
The recent action by Congress to provide a death gratuity to the widow of the late Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) has raised a few eyebrows. Specifically, the continuing resolution (CR) passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama in the late evening hours of Wednesday, October 16, included $174,000 – the equivalent of […]
A Government That is Too Big
More and more news reports are surfacing about the overreach by the Obama Administration with regard to the partial government shutdown. Remember, some 82% of government spending is exempt from the shutdown. It is the White House that ultimately determines what is essential and stays open and what doesn’t in the federal government. First a […]
A Clean CR is a Dirty Rotten Shame
On the October 2nd edition of Fox News Channel’s Special Report, columnist Charles Krauthammer decried the Democrats’ disingenuous insistence on a “clean CR,” implying that such an approach is actually a ratification of failure. On the one hand, it would underscore the fact that both chambers of Congress had failed in one of their most […]
Debate and Compromise Is Not a One-Way Street
A few months back my 20-something niece was complaining about how Congress, in particular the Republican House, was just not cooperating with President Obama over spending, taxes, and government-investments like bridges and green energy. She said the current system was broken and that we needed something new so things could be done quickly. I said, […]
Nancy’s Cupboard May be Bare but There are Certainly Bats in Her Belfry
On Sunday, when asked about deficit reduction, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) declared on CNN’s Sunday show State of the Union that “the cupboard is bare…there’s no more cuts to make.” This shocking quote reminded me of Tom Delay (R-TX), former House Majority Leader, who said in 2005 that there is “no fat” left […]