[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 14 (Tuesday, January 29, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H482-H483]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                THE TIME FOR EARMARK REFORM HAS ARRIVED

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of 
January 4, 2007, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence) is recognized 
during morning-hour debate for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because the American people are 
tired of spending-as-usual here in Washington, DC, especially when it 
comes to earmarking. Now, earmarking, for the uninitiated, is a process 
in Congress which has expanded greatly over the last 15 years under 
Republican control of Congress and, as we saw last year, under Democrat 
control of Congress. It is where Members of Congress oftentimes, for 
perfectly meritorious and honorable reasons, request specific projects 
for their districts. But the American people know that something has 
gone wrong with the Federal budget process system, and the time for 
earmark reform has arrived.
  This past weekend I'm pleased to report, Mr. Speaker, that House 
Republicans gathered in West Virginia and came together around a 
bipartisan challenge. We called on Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats 
to join us in a timeout on earmarking in Washington, DC.
  House Republicans united behind a challenge for an earmark moratorium 
and the establishment of a new select committee that would engage in 
the kind of thoughtful analysis and hearings where we could truly 
change the way we spend the people's money.
  When you are flying an airplane and the gauges start to tell you 
something is wrong with the engines, the first thing you do, Mr. 
Speaker, is put the airplane on the ground. Then you get under the hood 
and you figure out what is wrong.
  Well, I have to tell you that the explosion of earmarks under 
Republican control in the past years and the inclusion of hundreds of 
unexamined earmarks in last year's omnibus bill, dropped in at the last 
minute under the color of darkness, are evidence that the gauge lights 
are going off.
  We need to call a timeout, have a moratorium on earmark spending here 
in the Congress while we can come together, men and women, Republicans 
and Democrats, and figure out how we restore public confidence in the 
way we spend the people's money.
  By challenging Speaker Pelosi and the House majority to join us in 
ending earmarks as usual in Washington, DC, House Republicans have 
thrown down the gauntlet of reform.
  And I believe that while I still think our side should embrace an 
immediate moratorium on earmarks and lead by example, I applaud my 
colleagues for finding that common ground among Republicans wherein we 
can challenge, in a spirit of bipartisanship, our colleagues to join 
us.
  Now, I still maintain nothing short of a full moratorium followed by 
public hearings and reform will be sufficient to restore public 
confidence in congressional appropriations.
  But as those debates have gone on, it is amazing to me, Mr. Speaker, 
to look at the morning headlines here in Washington, DC. It shows you 
the difference between the Muncie Star Press and newspapers out here. 
Earmarks are page 1, the focus on the ``President's sudden severity is 
drawing bipartisan criticism.'' Roll Call says, ``Earmarks Still Roil 
GOP,'' and the Politico, not to be outdone, repeats the exact same 
headline: ``Earmark Debate Roils GOP Ranks.''
  It is only in Washington, DC, where one party engages in a vigorous 
debate about how we restore public confidence in the Federal budget 
process that the focus then is on the debate of the party that wants to 
bring about change because the sound of silence from the Democrat 
majority is deafening.
  Now, while Republicans are having a vigorous debate, and I'm still 
one of the people that believes that our party should even go farther, 
that we should embrace a 1-year moratorium, I have advocated that among 
my colleagues and will continue to. But nevertheless, it is remarkable 
to me that the Washington press corps is more interested in discussions 
among Republicans who

[[Page H483]]

have arrived at a consensus challenging the governing majority to join 
us in an earmark moratorium than they are interested in the response of 
the majority who hold the reins of power.
  I mean, headlines attest to a vigorous debate among the minority and 
dead silence among the majority.
  And I must tell you, it has to be frustrating, Mr. Speaker, to 
millions of Americans who long for a Congress that will put integrity 
and the restoration of public confidence in the Federal budget above 
partisan differences.
  So I say to my colleagues on the other side, what is your response to 
our challenge for an immediate moratorium on all earmark spending? What 
will Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats decide at their conference 
retreat this week?
  My hope is as our challenge sits now on the table and is met with 
stark silence from the Democrats, that as your party meets, Mr. 
Speaker, as you consider how we can restore public confidence, that 
Democrats will join Republicans in an immediate earmark moratorium so 
we can put our fiscal house in order and restore public confidence.

                          ____________________