Political Quotes

“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.”