[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15670-15671]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO SHOW TAXPAYERS HOW THEIR MONEY IS BEING 
                                 SPENT

  (Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute.)

[[Page 15671]]


  Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, the very first reform 
passed by the new majority in the 110th Congress was a rule to create 
transparency publicizing projects earmarked for Federal money. Now the 
majority party is suggesting to the American people that it's okay to 
bury these earmarks in conference bills, which we know cannot be 
amended or challenged in any way.
  Republicans last year brought more sunshine and transparency into 
this process, and instead of building on that, as promised by this new 
majority, Congress is taking a giant step backwards.
  As a member of the House Budget Committee, I'm highly concerned that 
waiting until the very end of the law-making process to hide pork 
barrel spending is the simplest way to create a slush fund in the 
budget. This way of spending will lose America's trust.
  Mr. Speaker, Americans have trusted us to spend their taxpayer money 
wisely and honestly. We have a responsibility to show them exactly how 
their money is being spent and defend it on the House floor.

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