Gregg Wants Earmarks Removed While Shaheen Votes to Keep Them
Earmarks Vote
New Hampshire Union Leader
Aoife Connors
Boston University Washington News Service
March 4, 2009
WASHINGTON – New Hampshire Sens. Judd Gregg (R) and Jeanne Shaheen (D) voted in opposite directions Tuesday on the McCain amendment that would freeze all earmarks in the $410 billion spending bill for the 2009 fiscal year.
The Senate voted 63-32, rejecting the amendment introduced by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to remove all earmarks and continue funding federal programs at 2008 levels. The bill, which according to opponents isladen with pork, includes an 8 percent increase in spending from 2008 levels, doubling the rate of inflation.
McCain’s amendmentl would have eliminated almost 8,500 earmarks and cut roughly $32 billion from the spending bill.
Gregg, who voted for it, said, “Sen. McCain’s amendment would have continued funding for several federal departments at last year’s lower spending levels and, in my view, was a constructive way to restore fiscal discipline to this spending measure.”
He added at a time when “individuals, families and businesses across our country are tightening their belts, it is only appropriate for Congress to do the same.”
Earmarks are for incredibly important projects in New Hampshire that need funding, said Sen. Shaheen, who voted against the amendment. But she added that earmarks should be more transparent and it should always be clear which member of Congress requested each earmark so that they are accountable for them.
Sen. Gregg, a member of the Senate Appropriations committee, has included a number of earmarks to benefit many New Hampshire projects. These include $3 million for the Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership, $686,000 to provide broadband to the North Country, $856,000 for health care centers, $1.5 million for Operation Streetsweeper, and $750,000 for the New Hampshire Drug Task Force.
Citizens Against Government Waste, a nonprofit organization with a mission to eliminate waste and inefficiency in federal government, states that the Appropriations Act for fiscal 2008 included 11,610 pork projects costing $17.2 billion. They refer to a pork project as a line-item in an appropriations bill that provides tax dollars for a specific purpose outside of budget procedures.
During his campaign, President Obama pledged to put an end to ”business as usual in Washington,” promising transparency and an end to wasteful spending.
The pork-laden 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act was passed by the House Feb 25 by a vote of 245 to 178. New Hampshire Reps. Carol Shea-Porter and Paul Hodes voted for the legislation.
The bill includes almost $8 billion for more than 8,500 pork projects included by individual members of Congress. Many department budgets have been increased by the bill including education, health and human services and transportation.
McCain’s amendment was supported by 30 Republicans and two Democrats.
In support of the McCain amendment, Sen. Gregg said, “Even as the federal budget deficit reaches record levels, my Democratic colleagues continue to add new government spending that will pass on a massive debt to our children and grandchildren that they cannot afford.”
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