The GOP famously ran on “No more Earmarks!” even going so far as to “ban” them. Except when they do it, of course.
In a Defense Spending Bill, the GOP quietly slipped in a few… okay, a lot, of earmarks for their districts.
In a Defense Spending Bill, the GOP quietly slipped in a few… okay, a lot, of earmarks for their districts.
The massive, $553 billion bill providing a budget for the Pentagon boasts millions of dollars that President Barack Obama didn’t request for weapons programs, installations and other projects in districts from Illinois to Mississippi represented by House GOP freshmen. The additions look suspiciously like the pet projects that Republicans prohibited when they took over the House and that the new class of lawmakers, many with tea party backing, swore off in a promise to change Washington’s spending habits.
They covered themselves by saying that the items were not ‘earmarks’ but merely ‘suggestions’ and that the Defense Department had the final say based on merit.
And if you believe that, I have this bridge….