[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 167 (Wednesday, October 31, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H12242]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             EARMARK MINUTE

  (Mr. FLAKE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. FLAKE. Madam Speaker, Democrats wisely seized on earmark reform 
as an issue during last year's elections. I believe that their promises 
of reform, coupled with the Republican Party's inability to control 
earmarks, directly contributed to the Democrats' success in last year's 
elections. However, the majority party does not appear to be following 
through with the substantive reforms that were promised.
  Take the Labor-HHS bill that will soon be considered in conference. 
It contains more than 1,300 House earmarks, more than 1,000 Senate 
earmarks. It goes without saying that few of these earmarks have 
received even a cursory screening, let alone a thorough vetting. We 
need to remember that we are only halfway through the process and it is 
in the conference that much of the earmark mischief occurs. Public 
confidence in our ability as stewards of their taxpayer dollars will 
further erode.
  Madam Speaker, while watching the Democrats make the same political 
miscalculations as we did in the majority may delight us as 
Republicans, it has to be sorely disappointing to taxpayers. I urge all 
Members, Republicans and Democrats, to support legislation to impose an 
earmark moratorium until we can scrutinize all earmarks.

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