Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Utah. Let me just say that during a televised, bipartisan meeting recently at the White House, the President suggested that we might be more collegial around here, more efficient in Congress, if we would just bring back earmarks. The reaction from the lawmakers present was decidedly mixed. Some cheered that declaration, but most of us, I have to say, recoiled at the thought. As someone who served in Congress during the gluttonous earmarking era, when pork was used regularly to buy and sell Congressmen's votes, I can tell you firsthand this is an idea that nobody ought to be laughing at or embracing. Amidst public corruption investigations and a constant stream of embarrassing headlines about sweetheart deals for family and friends, Congress was forced to place a moratorium on earmarks about 7 or 8 years ago. Earmarking does not improve the legislative process. In fact, it compromises Members into ignoring unethical behavior and voting for bad bills that they would otherwise oppose. Remember, ObamaCare was approved with just a single vote being secured with an earmark--the one that was derided as the ``Cornhusker kickback.'' Likewise, when Senators receive earmarks, they are agreeing to support hundreds of other earmarks stuffed into an appropriations bill.…”