McCaul Swears Off Earmarks
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX-10) is the latest House member to swear off earmarks. Note how this Houston Chronicle news article is worded:
Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, apparently facing a stiff challenge for re-election in November, said Monday that he would no longer request controversial spending projects known as earmarks.
McCaul's well-financed opponent, Democrat Larry Joe Doherty, questioned the sincerity of the congressman's reversal but said he, too, would not ask for earmarks if elected to the district that sprawls from western Harris County to Austin.
[...]"The system is broken and it needs to be fixed," McCaul said. "A majority of these earmarks wouldn't get through Congress if they were given the best test of sunlight. Until they put more transparency into the system, I am not going to play the game."
Even though we've seen it before, this is a very big deal because the motivation is so explicit. Once upon a time, a politician sought earmarks in order to get re-elected. Now, the dynamics have changed thanks to the porkbusting movement. In order to get re-elected, a politician must now give up earmarks.
McCaul is now the 36th House member to swear off earmarks.
Posted at Andrew Roth at 3:09 PM | TrackBack
