Many members of Congress understandably love to “bring home the bacon” in the form of “free federal money” for some desirable local projects.
But since many such local projects couldn’t win majority approval in Congress on their own merits, what do many members do?
They simply select some major legislation that is sure to pass, then attach their local projects as “earmarks” to the vital bills, with the local spending goodies riding along to approval with the necessary legislation.
When many of the 435 members of the House of Representatives and many of the 100 members of the Senate add on all “their” local-interest “earmarks,” the cost obviously mounts up — putting an unnecessary burden on all taxpayers.
So with lots of Americans worrying about high taxes, big spending, budget deficits, etc., an effort was made in the Senate this week to ban “earmarks.”
But sadly, rejection of earmarks failed, 56-39.
You’ll be interested in the split: Voting to ban earmarks were only seven Democrats with 32 Republicans. Voting to keep earmark spending were 46 Democrats, eight Republicans and two independents.
To their credit, both Tennessee Republican senators, Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander, voted to ban earmarks. So did Georgia Republican Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, and Alabama Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions. Voting against banning earmarks was Alabama Republican Sen. Richard Shelby.
So the unnecessary spending through earmarks won, meaning taxpayers will continue to lose, through much wasteful spending of our tax money.