Want to Know How Your Tax Dollars Are Spent in Washington? "Tough [Expletive]," Says Top Democrat

MONDAY, NOV 16, 2009

The House will meet at 2 p.m.

TUESDAY, NOV 17, 2009

The House will meet at 2:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, NOV 18, 2009

The House will meet at 10 a.m.

THURSDAY, NOV 19, 2009

The House will meet at 10 a.m.

FRIDAY, NOV 20, 2009

The House will meet at 9 a.m.

Leader Alert

Want to Know How Your Tax Dollars Are Spent in Washington? "Tough [Expletive]," Says Top Democrat
Rep. Murtha Says Transparency & Accountability in Spending Taxpayer Dollars Not a Priority

Washington, Oct 1, 2007 - Time and time again this year, Republicans have stood for fiscal discipline and greater transparency and accountability in how taxpayer dollars are spent. And time and time again, Democratic leaders have thumbed their collective noses at American taxpayers, preferring slush funds for secret earmarks and smoke-filled rooms where earmarks are traded for votes.

No one has fought to protect the culture of Washington spending more than Rep. Jack Murtha (D-PA). In a Congressional Quarterly Weekly piece this morning, Murtha told a reporter “tough [expletive]” when asked whether taxpayers had the right to expect real transparency and accountability in how he and other Democrats spend taxpayer dollars:

“Still, the new House disclosure rules could threaten Murtha’s old-school way of doing business. Forced to disclose earmark sponsors and amounts this year for the first time, the subcommittee chairmen were put in a position of explaining a great deal about how the process benefits some lawmakers more that others – even if many details of the process remain in the dark. Murtha was in no mood to make transparency easy.”

“In reporting earmarks, all Appropriations subcommittees separated their list of project sponsors from information about dollar amounts. Though the information was published, the method made it impossible to quickly assess who got how much in each bill. Murtha took the extra step of marbling the projects and their dollar values throughout the committee report on the bill, rather than compiling an easy-to-read list.” …

“Lawmakers say the winners in the process thrive on their ability to keep the rest of the rank and file in the dark about the distribution of money for special projects. Murtha is no exception.”

“After a recent House vote, he stopped for a moment in the lobby adjacent to the House floor, just steps from his corner, to take a question from a reporter about the difficulty of piecing together which members got how much money for which projects in his bill.”

“Murtha answered abruptly before walking away. ‘So, you have to work,’ he said. ‘Tough [expletive].’”

In June 2007, House Republicans rallied to force Democrats to drop their plans to pass appropriations bills laden with slush funds for secret earmarks – the types of earmarks Rep. Murtha wishes he did not have to disclose. But the fix did not apply to tax and authorizing bills, which have historically been vehicles for some of the most indefensible earmarks churned out by Congress. Some recent examples include:

An authorizing bill was the vehicle for an illegitimate earmark requested by Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) that shifted $23 million in taxpayer funds to the so-called National Drug Intelligence Center – a facility located in Rep. Murtha’s district that was declared “expensive and duplicative” by independent government analysts.

An authorizing bill rammed through the House by congressional Democrats to renew the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) was loaded up with millions in hospital earmarks that were never debated and never subject to challenge on the House floor.

House Republicans recently filed a discharge petition to force the House Democratic leadership to allow a vote on H.Res. 479, legislation that would ensure all taxpayer-funded earmarks are publicly disclosed and subject to challenge and open debate on the House floor. So far 193 Republicans have signed the petition, yet not one Democrat has done so despite the fact that Democrats last year claimed all earmarks should be publicly disclosed and subject to votes on the House floor. Will rank-and-file Democrats sign the petition and allow the House to vote on H.Res. 479 or again thumb their noses at American taxpayers and refuse to change the way Washington spends taxpayer dollars?

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HOUSE Republican Leader John Boehner