Time to end earmarks

I don’t often agree with Wisconsin U.S. Senator Ron Johnson, but we do share some common ground. Johnson is calling for an end to earmarks, the practice of federal lawmakers inserting pet projects for their home districts into federal budget bills. This so-called “pork” was banned for a time, but is back with a vengeance. In the omnibus spending bill Congress is considering this week to avoid a government shutdown are thousands of earmarks that call for almost $10 billion in federal spending. This money funds projects that otherwise wouldn’t be funded by the federal government if not tucked into this massive spending bill. This practice is corrupt, allowing lawmakers to use taxpayer money to fund pet projects in their home districts with no debate or discussion, just an up or down vote on the massive bill. Among the pork in this bill is $3.6 million to establish the Michelle Obama Walking Trail in Georgia and $4 million to create exhibition space for LGBTQ history at a New York museum. If these projects really deserve our money, members of Congress should debate the merits of spending federal money on them. But cramming them into a bill without having to convince anyone it is a good idea is a practice that should be banned.