Subject: Rep. Emanuel Cleaver revives push to bring back earmarks - POLITICO
From: "Eric Schwerin" <[email-masked]>
To: "Hunter Biden" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2015 10:22:02 -0400

Maybe we should just go back to being earmark lobbyists now!

> http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/emanuel-cleaver-revives-earmark-push-215049 <http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/emanuel-cleaver-revives-earmark-push-215049>
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> Cleaver revives push to bring back earmarks
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> AP Photo
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> Cleaver revives push to bring back earmarks
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> A leading House Democrat is pushing one of Congress' most influential committees to do away with a five-year-old ban on earmarks.
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> Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri sent a letter to Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster on Wednesday arguing that lawmakers' decision to ban earmarks has caused only gridlock in Congress.
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> The move comes as Speaker John Boehner — long the loudest opponent of earmarks — is set to leave Congress at the end of the month. Proponents of earmarks have been quietly discussing way to restart the practice with the departure of the Ohio Republican — though it would face serious objections from many in the GOP.
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> "Congress is suffering from a despicable disease of gridlock," Cleaver wrote, according to a copy obtained by POLITICO. "Congress used the practice of congressionally-directed spending for negotiating purposes....and keep the legislative process moving."
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> Republicans did away with earmarks, essentially small appropriations of money for specific districts and projects, when they took over as the majority in 2010. It's caused problems for leaders since. Historically, the threat of funding drying up keep rebellious members in line — and eased the process of whipping votes.
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> There have been small pushes since 2010 to revive earmarks but the fiscal hawks in the Republican Party have kept any resurgence efforts at bay. Democrats are now eyeing specific committees as potential vehicles to revive the debate and bring more moderate GOP lawmakers on board.
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> "The Constitution delegated to Congress the power of the purse, and yet in recent years we have delegated that authority to the executive branch. By ending the practice of congressionally-directed spending, we have not reduced the size of the federal budget 'pie,'" Cleaver said. "We have just given the whole pie to the executive branch."
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Eric D. Schwerin
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