TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Bush Derides Earmark Spending

ADVERTISEMENT

By PETER BAKER, The Washington Post

Published: December 21, 2007

WASHINGTON - President Bush threatened Thursday to cancel thousands of pet projects that Congress inserted into a massive spending bill before leaving town this week, a move that could provoke a fierce battle with lawmakers in both parties who jealously guard their ability to steer money to favored purposes.

At an end-of-the-year news conference, Bush chastised Democratic leaders for failing to live up to their campaign promise to curb so-called earmarks and said he has ordered his budget director "to review options for dealing with the wasteful spending in the omnibus bill." Aides later said those options would include simply disregarding earmarks not included in binding legislative language.

In making his last extensive appearance before leaving this morning for a holiday at Camp David and his Texas ranch, Bush offered a mixed assessment of his first year with the opposition in charge of both houses of Congress. He praised lawmakers for a spurt of legislation in recent days, calling this "a moment that the country can be proud of" and saying everyone deserved credit. "I'm pleased that we have been able to end this year on a high note by moving beyond our differences and achieving important results for the American people," he said.

His sharp message on earmarks, though, stirred consternation on Capitol Hill and excitement among fiscal conservatives. Calling Congress irresponsible for lumping 11 spending bills into a single 1,400-page measure nearly three months into the fiscal year, he added, "Another thing that's not responsible is the number of earmarks that Congress included." While Congress "made some progress" curbing pet projects, he said, "they have not made enough progress."

Bush said he asked Jim Nussle, director of the Office of Management and Budget, to present him possible actions to take, although he would not elaborate. One option, aides said, would be to ignore the vast majority of earmarks that are included only in conference reports rather than in the appropriations bill. Although traditionally honored, language in such reports is not binding.

"There's always been an opportunity for the president to issue an executive order essentially canceling most of the earmarks," said Brian Riedl, a Heritage Foundation scholar who issued a memo outlining ways to do so. "Generally, it's been perceived as a declaration of nuclear war for the president not to spend congressional earmarks. But with more than 11,000 of them, it seems like Bush ... might consider it this time."

Under such a scenario, the appropriated money would still be spent on the purpose in the bill, but not necessarily on the intended recipient.

Critics complain that earmarks are a way to funnel money to projects or organizations without a review of the merits. Another option Bush aides said they are reviewing is interpreting vaguely worded earmarks in a different way from what their sponsors intended.

According to a preliminary count by Taxpayers for Common Sense, a group that fights earmarks, the giant spending bill sent to Bush included 8,983 projects worth $7.4 billion. A separate Defense Department spending bill signed by Bush included another 2,162 earmarks worth $7.9 billion. That brings the total to 11,145 worth $15.3 billion, although the group is still counting and the number will probably rise.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT