[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15450-15451]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            SECRET EARMARKS

  (Mrs. MILLER of Michigan asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, for months we have heard the 
Democrats' promises that they would make this the most transparent and 
ethical Congress that our Nation has ever seen, and of course, we all 
want to see Congress held accountable. We all want the legislative 
process to be open and be accessible to the American people.
  So this week the Democrats get to take a swing at making good on 
their promises of transparency and accountability, and they're already 
striking out with their secret slush funds.
  By deciding not to include any earmarks in the appropriation bills 
and instead to slip them in by the dark of night into conference 
reports, preventing anyone from questioning or challenging their 
earmarks, they have completely shut off the legislative process to the 
American people.
  Now, let me make it clear that I am not against earmarks. I am more 
than willing to get up here on the floor and defend each and every 
earmark that I have ever gotten or tried to get for my district. And I 
think that all Members should have the opportunity to defend their 
projects and their requests, but more importantly, tax paying citizens 
have the right to know exactly how their hard-earned dollars are being 
spent.
  To make this process closed is an insult to taxpayers, and if 
Democrats have nothing to hide, they should live

[[Page 15451]]

up to their promise and open the process back up to the American people 
and hold themselves accountable for their spending.

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