An article published in yesterday's Congressional Quarterly detailed the disparities of the current earmarking process. I will spare you each and every minute detail, but I did feel that the research made a solid conclusion…the earmark process is not fair even if you overlook the abuses and overspending.
Acccording to the research done by CQ and Taxpayers for Common Sense, the winners of the process are almost all members of the Appropriations committee, and they tend to be boastful of their pork, no matter how egregious. 15% of House Members serve on the Appropriations Committee, yet that 15% receives 49% of the solo-sponsored earmark dollars and cosponsors 32% of shared projects.
From these numbers it seems to me that now more than ever we need to hold the Appropriations Committee accountable for its actions. In my mind we need a change and an immediate moratorium on earmarks so that the process can be reformed to make it fair, equitable, and fiscally sound.
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