[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 13719]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1010
                     FY 2011 APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS

  (Mr. FLAKE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. FLAKE. Mr. Speaker, you know, this is a different kind of July 
than we usually experience here in Congress. Usually we're doing 
appropriation bills. We aren't doing them this month. We aren't likely 
to do any until after the election. Isn't that something? The one 
responsibility we have here in Congress, pass appropriation bills, we 
aren't doing until after the election. This might give you an idea why 
we're not doing that.
  These are the bills that have gone through the Appropriations 
Committee, either the subcommittee or the full committee. When you look 
at the number of earmark dollars that are associated with powerful 
Members of Congress, either those on the Appropriations Committee or 
leadership or the chairs of committees, just take, for example, the 
MilCon-VA bill, 78 percent of the earmarks are going to 13 percent of 
the Members. Other bills are similar: 76 percent in Agriculture; CJS, 
57 percent going to the most powerful Members.
  It's often said that we earmark here because we know our districts 
better than those bureaucrats. Well, apparently, 13 percent of the 
Members know their districts; the rest of us don't.
  That's just one of the problems with the earmarking system we have in 
Congress. It's a spoils system. Those who are powerful get the spoils.

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