Despite promises, few in House publicize earmarks
A CNN survey of the House found it nearly
impossible to get information on lawmakers’ pet projects.
Despite the new Democratic congressional leadership’s promise of “openness and transparency” in the budget process, a CNN survey of the House found it nearly impossible to get information on lawmakers’ pet projects.
Initially, staffers for only 51 of the 435 members of the House contacted by CNN between June 13 and 15 were willing to supply a list of their earmark requests for fiscal year 2008, which begins on October 1. Some of those 34 staffers simply pointed callers to Web sites where those earmark requests were posted.
Of the current remainder, 68 declined to provide CNN with a list, and 316 either didn’t respond to requests or said they would get back to us, and didn’t.
“As long as we are not required to release them, we’re not going to,” said Dan Turner, an aide to Rep. Jim McCrery, R-Louisiana.
That sort of elitism remains at the heart of the process. It has nothing to do with providing “for the folks back home”. It’s rooted in a Congress that rejects openness to the public that elected them.
Posted: Sun - June 24, 2007 at 10:00 AM