David Obey: “many of us remember a few years back when significant reductions were made in committee staffing, which saved a…”

“many of us remember a few years back when significant reductions were made in committee staffing, which saved a significant amount of money in the House budget. In a very controversial decision, the House majority leadership took about $8 million of those savings that were not sent back to the Treasury, but instead, put into a special fund to be controlled by the House leadership. The House leadership has been able to spend this slush fund in any manner they wanted, without further approval of the House. This windfall spree was thought to be, more or less, a one-time windfall brought about by the committee staff reductions that have now stabilized. But I guess the House leadership has gotten hooked on this free spending, because we find tucked away in this bill extra funds ostensibly for committee staff which in fact are not meant for the committee staff at all, but rather, meant to replenish the Speaker's slush fund.”