Real Conservativism, GW, Pork, Line Item Veto

[Annie]

Links at site:

http://www.clubforgrowth.org/blog/archives/037172.php

March 07, 2006
95% of Pork is Not Legally Binding

According to a new report (PDF) by the Congressional Records Service, 95% of all pork projects are not legally binding. The report concluded that only 543 out of 12,852 earmarks were actually written into the text of last year’s appropriations bills. As for the remaining 12,309 unauthorized pork projects, the report states, “Earmarks that appear in committee reports and the statements of managers do not legally bind agencies…”.

In a press release that included the report, Senator Jim DeMint said:

“This report makes the true problem of earmarks crystal clear,” said Senator DeMint. “The vast majority of earmarks are secretly slipped into bills without much debate. These non-legislated earmarks are not legally binding, and the Administration has the authority to stop them. President Bush should instruct his cabinet to ignore wasteful non-legislative earmarks and reserve the funds for their core missions. This would make it much harder for Congress to add wasteful earmarks and spend more than is truly needed.”

The ball is in your court now, Mr. President.
Posted by Andrew Roth at March 7, 2006 01:48 PM