Obama signs earmarked bill
By: Julie Mason
Examiner White House Correspondent
March 11, 2009
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President Barack Obama on Wednesday moved to blunt criticism over his acceptance of a pork-laden spending bill by proposing a series of earmark reforms for future legislation.
“I am signing an imperfect omnibus bill because it is necessary for the ongoing functions of government,” Obama said. “But I also view this as a departure point for more far-reaching change.”
The $410 billion omnibus spending bill covers government obligations for the remainder of the fiscal year that ends in September and contains more than 9,000 earmarks worth more than $7 billion. Obama, who campaigned on a promise to reform earmarks, was urged by some lawmakers to veto the bill.
“When Congress passed the economic recovery bill … it did so without including a single earmark,” said Sen. Russell Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat. “The president should veto the omnibus, send it back to Congress to be cleaned up, and make it clear to Congress that pork-laden bills are no longer welcome.”
Administration officials have tried to put some distance between the president and the spending bill, describing it as leftover business from last year and an inherited obligation the president viewed with distaste.
The guidelines announced at the White House were aimed at giving the president some political cover and fulfilling his promise to reform earmark abuse — even as he prepares to sign the omnibus bill.
“On occasion, earmarks have been used as a vehicle for waste and fraud and abuse,” Obama said. “Projects have been inserted at the eleventh hour without review, and sometimes without merit.”
To reform the system, Obama is calling for greater justification for earmarks, saying they must serve a public purpose. He wants lawmakers to publicize proposed earmarks on their Web sites and allow for public comment. And earmarks for private companies would be subject to a higher level of scrutiny and competitive bidding.
The president acknowledged that in some instances, earmarks have their place. Demonized by politicians in recent election cycles, earmarks are still favored by many as a way to direct resources to home districts.
But imposing legislative policy from the White House is a tricky business, and some lawmakers have expressed strong resistance to Obama’s presumptions.
“I don’t think the White House has the ability to tell us what to do,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland said recently.
The most strenuous criticism of Obama’s stance on the omnibus bill came from Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, Obama’s campaign opponent and a vocal critic of earmarking bills.
In a blistering critique on the Senate floor and a vigorous campaign on the Internet social media site Twitter, McCain railed against
Obama’s lack of action to fix the system. A McCain amendment to gut the bill of earmarks failed to pass in the Senate.
“So much for the promise of change,” McCain said.
jmason@dcexaminer.com
