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Two weeks ago, a united House GOP effort to provide transparency for taxpayers forced Democrats to abandon their earmark slush funds in appropriations bills. During that effort, Appropriations Chairman David Obey made a promise:
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Appropriations Chairman David Obey
…. and I'm going to be very interested in seeing which Members vote for the amendment that I intend to attach to every appropriation bill, which would call for a total elimination on earmarks . I want to see how many of you actually vote for it. I want to see how many of you do not give hypocrisy a bad name.”
(Congressional Record, June 13, 2007)
”The reason I hate earmarks is because they suck everybody in. They suck them into the idea that we have to be ATM machines for our districts, and so they focus on the tiny portion of most bills that are earmarks instead of focusing on the policy that is represented by the legislation that we produce…. |
Since Chairman Obey did not offer his promised amendment during consideration of either of the two appropriations bills that followed, RSC Budget & Spending Chairman John Campbell did it for him, today offering the “Obey Amendment” to strike all earmarks from the Financial Services Billl. We also were “very interested in seeing which Members vote for the amendment.” Chairman Obey opposed his own amendment.
Chairman Obey promised to “include an amendment to call for a total elimination on earmarks to every bill.”
He Broke that promise.
Chairman Obey wanted to see who “gives hypocrisy a bad name.”
Anyone have a mirror?
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