Breaking: House GOP Adopts Unilateral Ban on All Earmarks
by Rep. John Boehner (R-OH)This morning, the House GOP Caucus adopted a unilateral ban on all earmarks.
For millions of Americans, the earmark process in Congress has become a symbol of a broken Washington. Today House Republicans took an important step toward showing the American people we’re serious about reform by adopting an immediate, unilateral ban on all earmarks. But the more difficult battle lies ahead, and that’s stopping the spending spree in Washington that is saddling our children and grandchildren with trillions of dollars in debt. Only then will we have succeeded in bringing fundamental change to the way Congress spends taxpayers’ money.
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139 Comments
Now….
LIVE UP TO IT!
If you do, the American people will sweep Republicans into the leadership again in 2010!
To paraphrase Chief Clancy Wiggum, "That's some fine posturing there Lou. "
Why don't you do something brave like come out in favor of rainbows and puppies?
Look, grow a pair and KILL this evil Health Care Government Takeover. Flood the bill with amendments during the reconciliation process or anything that will stop this monstrosity.
Interesting. How long will it last? A week, ten days, two weeks? Show US, prove to US you people are serious, are trustworthy. Earn your votes, just don't think you are entitled to them.
"Only then will we have succeeded in bringing fundamental change to the way Congress spends taxpayers’ money."
I have a novel concept, if you are wanting to change the way you spend taxpayers money. STOP SPENDING IT!
That isn't too hard, is it?
It's about friggin' time!
Really Missy!! They need to show us they mean it, rather than talk about it. It sounds nice…"unilateral ban…", but will they "pull their money from where their mouth is?"
the 'R's' have been unified with this HC debacle. they should be praised for how they have stood together on this one as they're doing the right thing.
Now if they would propose a "Balanced Budget Amendment" to the constitution, attach a statement citing "constitutional authority" to all proposed laws and "Dissolve The Federal Reserve", it would be a lock!
Words and actions are two different things. I lost track of how many politicians I've heard over the course of my life on both sides of the aisle saying the exact same thing about banning earmarks yet end up earmarking bill after bill.
We will be paying attention to see if the Republicans live up to their ban on earmarks this time. In the past, people have forgotten many of these promises but not this time. Vote for or put in earmarks and you'll be getting quite an earful from your constituents as well as possible challenges from new players in the next election.
I can guarantee you the Senate won't be so bold as to commit to the same, Lindsay Graham, John McCain, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins live and die by graft and corruption and its just too much for those cowards to handle!
They are the quartet of questionable ethics on the Senate Republican side…
That's the way to do it baby! Yeah!
Thanks so much John, for your vigilance. America will breath a sigh of relief when you are the new Speaker of the House.
If this is just more smoke and mirrors, we will find out soon enough…these people had better stop lying to us, just to get re-elected!!! I'll believe it when I see it! I don't trust ONE person in Washington at the moment!!
It sounds to me, Mr. Boehner, as though you are setting yourselves up for a fall. What will you do when the next "must pass" Bill comes before you with an earmark in it? Will you break your word, or will you lose your seat for keeping your word? Id you want to keep both your word AND your seat, I suggest that you get MUCH better at both framing and controlling the debate as a Party. Otherwise, we're ALL going to be very disappointed!
Just remember Republicans, my arse will not take anymore smoke blown up it. It is ready to retaliate. Just hold true to your words and re-kindle the Conservatism that you once held and then I will believe it!
So what does that mean? The bills that are being pushed through are loaded with earmarks and we don't have the majority in the house to stop them. I think its great that the GOP is going to stand together as a whole to block them, I just wish that all the Reps would do so. This is a good start, and I applaud it, I am just not sure that it will have any immediate effect. On a positive note, however, it will bring the earmarks to light. If the GOP is going to put a halt to them that means that the only way to do so would be to make public every single earmark in ever single bill and give the American people the opportunity to voice loud and clear that we don't want it. Hasn't worked with health care yet, but if we hold tough hopefully we will see some positive changes.
I pray that this is real and lasting. We are headed for some dark days economically because of this present and past administrations and Congress's. We need leaders that will grow a spine and say no more to wasteful spending and will take on the responsibility to cut programs. To defund groups that are destroying our countries ability to grow. Like the EPA, NEA, SSI, Medicare and Medicaid. This is not going to be popular thing to do but our very survival depends on it. We need to be unleashed from the yoke that has been placed upon us as an exceptional nation. Small businesses must be able to grow and bailing out big businesses must stop…BRING BACK CAPITALISM!
I agree with the others, it's a good start. But there are far too many war-fronts open at the moment with some upcoming like cap and trade. Once we see you people start to deliver on being an actual congress of the people again then we can start talking about you getting back our support. Too many missteps up till this point in history.
I will be more impressed if 3 months they are still doing this "ban on earmarks". Why should we believe anything anybody says in Washington? I hope they will follow it but for now I will remain a skeptic.
Yeah, is this like "Paygo"? Are you guys gonna cave when the Dems start whining?
And which of you has the stones to take Lindsay Grahamnesty out back and get his attitude on illegal alien amnesty adjusted?
Exactly, actions speak louder than words, and right now, this is just words.
A) It’s about fracking time!
and
B) KEEP you word!
I'll believe it when I see it.
Excellent . . .we are going to hold you to it.
Please tell me it's not going to be like the "Pay-Go" scheme that lasted for exactly one week before it was by-passed to pass a bogus "Jobs" bill.
If not, then way to go!
Actually, McCain's one saving grace is that he doesn't do earmarks, ever. As for the rest of the bunch, don't hold your breath.
Now take the next step.
One issue – One bill.
I'm glad to hear it. But I'll believe it when I see it, Mr. Boehner.
Well it is my hope that they keep this ban in place. They seem to forget about these things a few days after they announce them.
PoliticalCentrist.com, News and views for independent voters
He didn't say that Republicans wouldn't vote for any bills with earmarks in them. He just said that they wouldn't add any themselves. Although frankly even that is going to be difficult to pull off, especially with the ban being unilateral. He's essentially asking Republican members to go home empty handed while Democrats will continue to funnel the federal largess to their districts. It's the kind of thing that would pay off politically in the long term, but could get a lot of members into trouble in the short term. And every member of the house comes up for reelection every two years…
…only about 6 years too late.
It's about damn time! Go back on your word and what you smell cooking won't be bacon; it will be your goose.
I cannot find "…for the rest of this Congress…" in Boehner's statement, where are you quoting from?
The called for:
Republican leaders in the House officially backed a one-year moratorium on earmarks, upstaging Democrats who instituted a more limited ban today.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34236.h...
People what this means is that the republicans will not add earmarks. It does not mean the democrats won't load up on them. As long as the republicans themselves do not add ear marks it will show who is serious and who is not
Dear Mr. Boehner,
The useless earmarks that only serve a politicians re-election purposes should be banned but it's like locking the barn door after the horses escaped. All you Republicans in DC better listen to "WE the People" because we cannot tolerate anymore raping of this country. We will not tolerate any more GOP "thumb sucking" and hiding under beds when the fierce dragon queen pelosi snarls and rahm and his minions threaten you with whatever.
Do you people in DC realize whats happening to this country? We are being sold out to the highest bidder! The
TOTUS wants this country brought down to her knees so we can be part of the 3rd world global entity. Our money is going to that corrupt UN and our finances are being controlled by the corrupt Fed Reserve. Our Constitution is being used by the progressives as toilet paper. We are heading for a huge crisis, financial and otherwise.
cont
Get rid of all the jihadist training camps in this country, stop the ridiculous immigration fiasco, stop pelosi, STOP spending and communicate with all your constituents through town hall meetings and finally realize that the disgruntled people will unite under the Tea Party umbrella and knock all of you off your pedestals…GOP Rinos and Progressives alike come November.
This is the United States of America and we will fight to the death to protect it from becoming the next Cuba, China and USSR.
I don't believe for one minute both parties will adopt UNILATERAL ban on earmarks aka pork. But it is excellent theatre to see how the democrats will respond.
The ball is in their court.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/mar/11/house...
Second sentence: "The move is an election-year appeal to voters frustrated with Washington's free-spending ways. But it is a one-year pause, not a permanent ban."
Cowboy…it is too good to be true
sounds like it could be a good CBS documentary though.." A World Without Earmarks"
How about passing a law making authors of earmarks subject to imprisonment! VOTE out the out of control DEMOCRAPS!!!
Thank you for the cite mijowi. I figured it was out there and I had not run across it yet today.
That's nice, John; what's your enforcement mechanism? And just what do you mean? Is this "no Republican earmarks" or "no Republican votes for bills with earmarks in them"? If a Republican supports spending in a Democrat district, and the Democrat shows his collegiality and bipartisanship by supporting spending in the Republican's district, is that an earmark?
Let's make a deal…any incumbent who submits an earmark gets no re-election money from the RNC, and he gets outed by the party as an earmarker. We'll clean them up in the primary, and it will be easier to enforce next election cycle. Until we see some action, it's just pretty words.
I want to see this ban become a LAW forever. Not a temporary band-aid that the minute we think about something else it starts all over again. A Law to prohibit this ridiculous spending. More than that, the next step is to recind earmarks that have been passed. There are folks out there with money appropriated to them to rebuild parks and museums and bridges that aren't needed and roads that aren't needed now and they are going to go forth and spend it. I know. The company I work for has gotten an enormous amount of money to spend on instrumentation "of any kind, as long as it's made in the USA". We really don't even need this equipment…but the government gave us money, so let's spend it and have a hay day. OR………..why not sent it back? I say this every day and people think I am crazy.
You are right my friend.
Window dressing. Morsels of bread for the great unwashed of the circus. They act like Roman Royalty.
It's a one-year moratorium on all earmarks, as opposed to Dems proposal of only "for profit" (whatever that means) earmarks. It's a step in the right direction, and maybe it would be impossible to get it passed without the time limit, but it's kinda like saying you're going on a one week diet.
I have my own proposal for Earmarks. Senator A can only propose earmarks for the state of Senator B, and B for C and C for D and only then can Senator D propose an earmark for the state of Senator A. There must be at least one new session of Congress between each earmark.
With four senators involved and a fair amount of time between the first and last, one of the Senators will double cross the others and break the chain. When we see fistfights or one Senator gun down another, live on C-Span, I would term my plan a success.
And no I am not serious but it is fun to think about.
You need to add this article to the comment below if it hasn't had a reply. It needs to be out there and mijowi's site, also.
Looks like they are starting to get it ….
http://libertyatstake.blogspot.com/
[For a light hearted take our present peril]
ditto
Talk is cheap Mr. Boehner. Let's see some action!
The words sound great.
Now we need to see it in action.
I am always telling my wife I'm taking out the trash but…….
The move is an election-year appeal to voters frustrated with Washington's free-spending ways. But it is a one-year pause, not a permanent ban.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/mar/11/house...
Please add this one to your blog as well M…
agree
i hear ya – still though, being the optimist that i am i have to praise them when they move the right direction.
I foresee a dark cloud on the horizon.
A "must pass" bill will have earmarks attached and this promise of no earmarks will go down the shitter!
I think this is the big one. This would solve a lot of problems. The practice of burying things deep inside a popular bill is the most destructive thing in D.C. in my opinion. It makes those who are paying attention and vote against the bill look mean and creates opportunity for ugly, negative, dishonest campaign ads. It needs to be stopped.
One bill, one issue. One spending bill at a time. And a part time legislature who has to spend the majority of it's time in it's home district. Drain the swamp!
Sure, sure, sure Johnny you are one hell of a crusader, it's just that,…..
you are about 6 to 8 years late with this:….."House GOP Caucus adopted a unilateral ban on all earmarks"
I find this Republican posturing a tad phony. You remind me of,……..
the dog that barks like a vicious animal when he is on the other side of the fence.
But not to worry, we the American people have no choice but to try and give another majority,…..when you get it,…..
Try and grow a pair this time
Unfortuenately the house dems already beat them to the punch. We'll just see which side can't be without their pork the longest.
Too little, too late, Boehner, the ship is already sinking. The necessary and inevitable correction is only a matter of time away. Your generation took a dollar and left a peso. Zimbabwee style buddy.
While a nice political stunt, it does nothing to restructure the role of the federal government.
This is clearly one of your better posts.
"stop spending it". Hows about stop confiscating it.
It doesn't change the fact that the GOP caucus has actually made an unequivocal promise that we, the voters, can hold them to–an amazing feat, considering that every single member is a politician.
I love your logic!
I have a novel concept, if you are wanting to change the way you spend taxpayers money. STOP SPENDING IT!
That would work also.
They collect money from taxes, to apply to last years bill, that was already spent. From dollars already printed, on government presses. Big scam, eh?
Bernie Maddof would be proud.
Thank you Mr. Boehner. Please let the public know when one of you members breaks ranks. Have you considered "nude discipline" in the house gymnasium for recalcitrant GOP congressmen?
"read my lips, no new taxes"
"i have to abandon free market principles in order to save the free market"
"I want my representative to be able to earmark funds for highway improvements or other public projects that the bureaucracy will not pursue. This is one of the reasons he is there, to cut through the process and champion a good cause. There is a big difference between an earmark and pork"
Crap. If the project is so worthy of being funded, then let it go through the regular committee process. If a project can't stand the scrutiny, then it ain't worth funding: and pretty much by definition pork.
Moreover, earmarks are by far how most goodies bought by lobbyists slither into the process- no awkward questions asked that way.
No, the job of Congresscritters is NOT to 'bring home the bacon'- that's Murthaism.
Word, words, and more words. We aren't going to be fooled anymore by empty promises and political posturing. The Republicans will only secure our votes in 2010 and 2012 if they KEEP THEIR PROMISES. We have heard enough video and sound bites of the President making pledges he had NO INTENTION OF KEEPING. Real Americans are going to band together in 2010 and take back our country. This goes for both parties. We are more informed about our government that ever before and will keep up the scrutiny through election time and beyomd.
Wow, you waited until it was politically to your advantage to proclaim this one year moratorium on earmarks. How long have you been in congress again?
Still, if we can scare the hell out of you and stop you spending ridiculous amounts of money with no means to pay for it then good for you. Go back on this and feel the consequences.
hear hear.
With pleasure, thanks for info.
John you've staked out the high ground, now get your troops to hold their position and force some ethics back into Washington.
Nice words John…
I'll give them weight when you and your party have established that your word as a representative actually means something.
For now, I will ignore you until your actions are joined to your words.
great idea, good promiss, now KEEP IT.
I hear it. Now I hope to see it. Somebody better do something or we're going to make Greece look like a Sunday picnic on an overcast day.
That's why being a Reagan Democrat is the best of both worlds.
That means the Dems want to grow the "social" programs which are administered primarily by non-profit organizations. Can anyone say teachers (cradle to college) or housing for the "poor", etc.
Actions have consequences, both positive and negative. We will evaluate the actions and apply the appropriate consequences come November 2010 and 2012.
i think that shaddig guy from arizona has been proposing that every year he has been in congress, and guess what, it never seems to make it to the floor. we don't need a balanced budget amendment, we need a max cap on spending amendment, and i will tell you it needs to be much lower than 3.9 trillion bucks, i would hold the line at say one trillion? that might be even too much.
I'm not holding my breath. I remember the last time Republicans made a big deal about ear-marks then we found out that over 50% of tagalong ear-marks had Republican sponsers. I have my paperwork to switch me, my wife and my mother-in-law from Republican to Unaffiliated. We are paying attention!
So in 1 year (assuming this passed, and it never will with the left in control) earmarks suddenly become good?
This sounds like a calculated bet, if it does pass then earmarks for everyone once you have more power.
Why not push passing the federalism amendment? That has teeth on a lot of levels and it never expires. This seems like political gamesmanship.
I applaud any move towards de-fanging the monster in DC but this goes no where near far enough.
uh, ya, bernie maddoff ponzi scheme was miniscule in comparison to the U.S. governments.
You can imagine what's going to happen when the house of cards collapses. And the worst part about it is that the United States is so advanced with its division and specialization of labor, that it will make it even worse.
I agree, I cannot get all excited about this.
So if it passed (LMAO with the left in charge) then ear marks become good in a year? Sounds like hedging your bets to me, you know it won't pass, so you can claim you tried, then just start abusing the system again when you get more power.
Why not simply say you will never ever use earmarks again, period, make it litmus test for GOP membership. That would differentiate you in an integral way vs. what I see as a calculated political theater move, yeah it would sting a bit because the left would not stop, but that would work towards the longer term goals.
In reality it is going to take something like the federalism amendment to de-fang the monster we have created in DC. The GOP needs to get on the right side of history on this and stop making little baby steps that do nothing but make people feel good.
The time is coming when people will look back and rember who tried warn them and who just fiddled why america burned.
Just about time Mr.GOP
I agree with both of you. The GOP has done as much as they could on HC, but this seems to be nothing but election year posturing to try and convince people that the GOP are different, and they are but clearly not enough to matter in the long run.
FDR severed three terms. His own party was so disgusted with his abuse of power that they passed an amendment prohibiting that from ever happening again. The time is coming when people will be ready for something like the federalism amendment, those that get out in front of the issue will be ready when the people are, if not then God help us all.
Right now all I see are little token political theatre gamesmanship tactics that might win an election and lose the country. Is anyone in the GOP serious about conservative and libertarian principles anymore?
Nothing will change. The same additions will be made only with a new name. What we need is a complete transformation of congress. All politicians with an R or D behind his name should be thrown out of office. No politician with an R or D behind his name should receive any vote.
Words are easy. We want to see results!
The money is already spent even before earmarks. Earmarking just tells us where the money went. This will result in actually less transparancy. Earmarking doesn't increase the Budget and even if it did earmarks are less than 1% of the Federal Budget. You have to cut the Budget. This is grandstanding and will accomplish nothing.
Good point Missy, we want to see a hell of a lot more than that from them…
[...] Breaking: House GOP Adopts Unilateral Ban on All Earmarks - Big Government [...]
Now that is Change I can believe in, the Fundamental Transformation of Congress in 2010 then the Fundamental Transformation of the President in 2012.
CBS would consider that a HORROR show.
Please remember that the repair of fed highwaysis not an earmark, That is one of only two reasons that we have a FEDERAL Budget. the other being defense. It should not be added to a non transportation bill to get a special pork project on non federal highways. YOur state is responsible for roads. Not the federal government.
I gave the GOP, and told them in very clear terms, until November. After that either I will be a part of the GOP or Independent. Already stopped providing them donations because of their actions. Actions have consequences.
Wasn't the tax on Motor Fuels suppose to go to the maintenance of our Highway system?
We will see…………….ready -set-go!
Agreed.
The Republicans showed what they were made of when they were in power and spent like Democrats.
The career politician relies on the famously short attention span of the American people and their Gerrymandered districts for re-election. As you said they will give us some "token political theater" and hope the public falls for it long enough to get elected.
I must say, I'm impressed with the republicans in congress this days. Thank you for standing in lock-step opposition to the democratic take-over of this country. It appears that you have begun to reform yourselves in the eyes of true Americans. You are redeemed! Please live up to your commitments this time, and we will support you.
Pork is vote buying by congressmen who should have been term limited out, in most cases. It is mostly a complete waste of money. The Alaska bridge to nowhere is a good example. The bridge was stopped but the money went to Alaska and used for who knows what.
Good for you guys John, don't stop now.
I think Dems are stripping all R earmarks out of all the bills anyway,
so the R's are trying to capitalize on the situation as it actually exists
already, pretending to give up perks for their districts, which they
are in no position to secure in the first place.
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