David Obey: “I don't have any idea what earmarks our Republican friends would want to see included in, for instance, the…”

“I don't have any idea what earmarks our Republican friends would want to see included in, for instance, the Labor-Health-Education bill. But the fact is, there is one other protection that we want to have in our process: Unlike the past, when some Appropriation subcommittees simply said Democrats, you look at yours, Republicans look at yours, and then do whatever you want, what we are going to try to do is to make certain that you get to see ours and we get to see yours so that we have that safety valve built into the system. That will protect the taxpayer and that will protect the reputation of this institution, and I think Members know it. I would urge Members to remember that our job tonight, after all, is to try to pass a Homeland Security bill, which has traditionally been virtually without earmarks.”