[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 380]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             EARMARK REFORM

  (Mr. FLAKE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FLAKE. Madam Speaker, we have always been fortunate to have in 
this body of legislators Members who, for lack of a better term, are 
called ``institutionalists.'' These are Members on both sides of the 
aisle who understand and appreciate the fact that this institution will 
outlive all of us and that we should try to ensure that when we leave 
the Congress, we leave the institution better than we found it.
  Madam Speaker, we desperately need these institutionalists to stand 
up today and play a role in reforming the practice of earmarking that 
is beneath the dignity of this great institution.
  It is almost a daily occurrence that we wake up to newspaper articles 
detailing questionable earmarks that coincide with large campaign 
contributions, earmarks that face little or no scrutiny in this body, 
earmarks that were more intended to garner votes or contributions than 
to address legitimate needs.
  We have also seen little inclination on the part of those currently 
in the position of leadership on either side of the aisle to address 
this issue in a meaningful way. We have changed the parties in charge, 
but we haven't changed the practice.
  So the mantle falls on the institutionalists among us to foster this 
change, those who deep down know that we owe more to this institution 
than we are giving it.
  It is time to stand up and be counted.

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