Jeff Flake: “before addressing this amendment, let me simply speak to the problem with this process of earmarking. We have the last…”

“before addressing this amendment, let me simply speak to the problem with this process of earmarking. We have the last amendment with regard to the Jason Foundation. All we know is that it was, I believe, requested for Ashburn, Virginia. We still do not know, after having voted for it, after 332 Members voted for it, after people came to defend other earmarks, nobody came to defend this one. We still do not know. What we do know is that the administration never requested it, that no hearings were ever held, no markup was ever held. We still do not know why it is in the defense bill. As I mentioned, we do not know who requested it. There is no oversight mentioned, no, no process or structure for oversight, nothing, yet we just appropriated $1 million for the Jason Foundation in Ashburn, Virginia. That is all we know, and that is all we will probably ever know. What kind of process is that? It is simply wrong. We should have a process that is more transparent where there is real accountability. Let us go on to this amendment. This is an amendment to strike $4 million for the Center for Rotorcraft Innovation in Media, Pennsylvania. This amendment would prohibit funds in the bill from being used for the Center for Rotorcraft Innovation. According to the center's Web site, their goal is to enhance the competitiveness of the U.S. rotorcraft industry in the world marketplace. I should say nobody is more supportive of a strong, viable rotorcraft industry than I am.…”