Hank Johnson: “My friend and colleague from Pennsylvania pointed out in the Rules Committee last night that it was the approval process…”

“My friend and colleague from Pennsylvania pointed out in the Rules Committee last night that it was the approval process that was holding up the dredging project for the Port of Savannah. Just yesterday, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution refuted this claim. In reality, this project--and countless others like it--are held up by a lack of funding. To quote the article: In the old days, a Congress that didn't agree with White House priorities simply loaded its own projects into the budget, in a bit of horse-trading. But Republicans, particularly in the House, have placed such bargaining out of bounds--a self-imposed restriction on their own influence. Because, under the House rules, this is an earmark. The Savannah River Port dredging would be an earmark. And so for us to place something in the budget which is not in the budget already--it's not allowed. That is quoting from my colleague, Representative Kingston. Because it is an earmark, in other words, Congress or its representatives would be barred by our own rules from placing funding in the budget for a project. It is unfortunate that my colleagues from Georgia on the other side of the aisle, aided and abetted by their colleagues on the other side of the aisle from across the country, can't seem to adjust their legislative actions to suit the people that they represent. This Savannah River Port dredging is very important to Georgia's economy.…”