Speaking for Nevada - April 2006

Changing Congress’ Earmark Policy

Let’s Make Congress Accountable

by John Ensign

Question: "Do changes need to be made to Congress’ earmark policy? If so, what changes do you recommend?"

Federal spending in Washington, D.C. is out of control, and American taxpayers are footing the bill. The spending problem is driven in part by a process known as "earmarking." If you are unfamiliar with what an earmark is or how the process works, you are not alone. Members of Congress use the legislative process to direct the federal government to spend money on things that are not necessarily federal priorities.

They include projects such as a sculpture garden in Seattle, Wash. and an indoor rainforest in Coralville, Iowa, and they have long been highlighted in network news segments such as "The Fleecing of America." These earmarks are inserted into spending bills in a cloak of secrecy, late at night, without any Congressional debate and no scrutiny. Many members believe that these earmark projects will help them get re-elected, but in truth, the general public pays very little attention to the outcome of this spending practice. They do, however, understand that those who control the purse strings in Washington, D.C. have forgotten whose hard-earned money fills their bottomless coffers.

Recent scandals, while embarrassing for the legislative branch, have served to shine a light on these rapidly growing and economically debilitating Congressional sprees. The current political climate in Washington, in which Americans are demanding more transparency of the spending process, is creating an historic opportunity for meaningful reform. I believe that the process of earmarking significantly drives up the overall amount of spending in Washington, D.C. To reform the earmark process is to ensure that federal spending is in line with our nation’s budget priorities. To reduce the ability to earmark will reduce spending. We can’t afford to let the opportunity for reform go by.

The excessive growth of earmarks over the past decade is appalling. Spending on earmarks has increased from $10.1 billion in 1995 to $27.3 billion in 2005. During that same time the federal budget and national debt have grown drastically. If we do not reverse this trend – and soon – our children and grandchildren will be hopelessly buried in our debt and will become the first generation to not do as well as the previous generation.

The time has come to change the way Congress spends money. As a member of the Senate Fiscal Watch Team, a group of seven senators working together to ensure federal dollars are spent wisely, I am committed to working on reforming the earmark process in order to bring accountability and fiscal responsibility to Congress. It may seem like an impossible feat. I’m sure many will roll their eyes at the notion of Congress reforming its spending habits. And while some of my colleagues will undoubtedly oppose such an effort, it absolutely must be done.

I have co-sponsored Senator McCain’s Pork Barrel Reduction Act (S. 2265) which would allow senators to oppose earmarks by raising a point of order. If sustained, the point of order would delete the earmark from the bill. Many other ideas are being discussed and debated in the Senate, essential elements to creating comprehensive legislation. Earmarks do serve a purpose for fast-growing states like Nevada, because current funding formulas penalize us by not considering our growth. We need to reform the funding formulas along with earmark reform so we aren’t forced to rely on earmarks for essential funding.

The ultimate goals in any reform of the process should be to increase transparency in government, restore public confidence in Congress, fix the loopholes that allowed recent scandals to occur, and reduce overall spending. While earmarks will continue to be part of the system, reforms that make it transparent will require legislators to be accountable for what we are requesting. While we might still ask for funds for highway improvements, we will have to justify it – causing us to think twice before asking for hard-earned taxpayer dollars.

The bottom line is that we must reform this process and earn back the trust of the American people. The price for inaction is too high.