[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 26285]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             EARMARK REFORM

  (Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, the majority party ascended 
to power with a promise that they would make this Congress the most 
open and ethical Congress ever. Most open and ethical indeed.
  Perhaps the majority party should have said something like, We will 
be open and ethical when it suits our purpose. That wouldn't have been 
a catchy phrase maybe on the campaign trail, but at least it would have 
been honest.
  For instance, the majority promised to clean up the earmarking 
process, but so far that, too, has been a hollow promise.
  Recently, we had the SCHIP and it was riddled with hidden earmarks. 
And yet not one sponsor of these provisions has ever been identified, 
and they have denied that there's any earmarks in them whatsoever.
  Now the Republican Party has now offered a simple resolution to clean 
up the process of earmarks, but not a single Democrat has signed on to 
this resolution.
  I call on my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, in the 
majority, to allow for a real debate on ethics and earmarks. Let the 
House debate H.R. 479 so that we can have an open and honest discussion 
and we can truly get to what you promised, an open and ethical 
Congress.

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