Sununu Wants Taxpayers to Be Able to Track Their Money
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9-Taxpayers may have a better idea of what their money is being used for if Congress approves a new bill Sen. John Sununu, R-N.H., is sponsoring.
“People in small towns and big towns and cities in New Hampshire are paying a good deal of taxes,” Sununu said in an interview after a press conference announcing the bill. “This is their money that is being sent to Washington, and we want to make sure that across the whole budget it reflects our country’s priorities.”
The bill, which Sununu is co-sponsoring with nine other Senators, including Arizona’s John McCain, aims to reduce the number of earmarks inserted in bills during the conference process.
An earmark is money set aside specifically for a particular project, like the building of a bridge. Some of these earmarks are being written into bills after they have passed both chambers and have gone to a joint Senate-House conference committee to work out differences in the bill’s two versions.
Sununu’s bill, called the “Pork Barrel Reduction Act,” would prevent last-minute additions to legislation to fund special projects.
“Any taxpayer wants to make sure that there’s a good process in place to disclose how money is being spent,” Sununu said. The bill would enable members “to identify what priorities certain members of Congress are pushing for and to know that we’re doing everything possible to minimize egregious earmarks.”
The aim of the bill, Sununu said, is to shed more light on the process so members know when earmarks are introduced, what they are specifically funding and who is sponsoring them.
“I don’t think any legislation can get rid of earmarks entirely, and members of Congress should always have the opportunity to push for priorities in their home state or their district,” Sununu said.
Earmark reform has been a sensitive issue for many members who believe they are judged by constituents on the amount of money that they get appropriated for their home state.
Sununu said he disagrees with that belief. “What voters care most about is that you have a voice that reflects the state well, that you’re willing to stand on principle, that you do your homework and you cast a good thoughtful vote,” he said at the press conference. “I think those are the things that matter most.”
This bipartisan bill, introduced by two Democrats and eight Republicans, comes at a time when there is a strong congressional divide between the Democrats and Republicans.
“At the very least, I think there’s a recognition of real common ground here, recognizing that reducing the number of requests is helpful to everyone, makes for a better process,” Sununu said. “I think those are the kinds of changes that everyone in Congress can support because they make for a better process.”
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