House Funds For Earmarks Are Cut in Half
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
WASHINGTON — The House Appropriations Committee yesterday approved $153 million for 377 pet projects, or “earmarks,” for lawmakers’ home districts.
The House speaker, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat of California, and the Appropriations Committee chairman, Rep. David Obey, a Democrat of Wisconsin, have issued an edict cutting the amount of money devoted to earmarks in half.
“Many members will be disappointed,” said Rep. Norm Dicks, a Democrat of Washington and the chairman of a panel responsible for local clean water and sewer grants and national parks projects.
Republicans are especially feeling the pinch. Now that they’re in the minority, they only get about 40% of the money for projects rather than the 60% they enjoyed when controlling Congress. The fact that earmarks are being cut in half doubles the pinch.
Seven-term GOP Rep. Zach Wamp’s requests for Environmental Protection Agency water and sewer grants in Tennessee were not granted, though Democrats heeded calls for freshmen lawmakers facing potentially difficult re-election campaigns.
Rep. Joe Donnelly, a Democrat of Indiana, obtained $500,000 for South Bend’s sewer systems and home-state colleague Rep. Brad Ellsworth won an equal amount for Evansville. Reps. Jason Altmire and Christopher Carney, freshman Democrats from Pennsylvania, also won projects.
New rules require the sponsors of earmarks to be identified and certify that they don’t have a financial interest in them.
Rep. Jose Serrano, a Democrat of New York and the chairman of a panel responsible for Small Business Administration grants, awarded $231,000 to each of more than 100 Democrats winning earmarks, including himself.
