WASHINGTON — Late last week, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives voted against a proposal by Alabama Congressman Mike Rogers (R-AL03) that would have partially lifted the ban on earmarks that Republicans put in place when they took the majority in 2011.
During a closed-door meeting of House Republicans, the group voted 145-67 against the proposal, which would not have lifted the ban entirely, but would have allowed the use of earmarks for “state, locality (including county and city governments), or a public utility or other public entity.”
The Congressional Research Service defines earmarks as spending attached to “bills that apply to a very limited number of individuals or entities.”
Earmarks have long sparked outrage among many conservatives and taxpayer watchdog groups. Perhaps most famously, Rep. Don Young (R-AK) attached a $398 million earmark to a spending bill to build a bridge that would be have been used by a total of about 50 residents in his district. The backlash was so severe that “Bridge to Nowhere” became a household name.
But some people continue to believe that although earmarks have been abused in the past, they can be useful in helping to keep the gears of Congress turning.
The left-leaning Anniston Star, located in Rogers’ district, published an editorial on Monday praising his efforts to bring earmarks back.
“Like any government policy, earmarks can be abused and distorted,” the Star’s editorial board wrote. “However, they can also help. It’s rarely discussed, but earmarks are one of those Washington tools that leaders in the House and Senate employ to keep the system moving. Small amounts of money in the form of earmarks for a local project can be the difference in a lawmaker’s support of a really big federal initiative.”
Rogers said he believes that the President has too much power over Congress’s spending priorities when they do not have the ability to attach earmarks to legislation.
“I do not believe most people trust how President Obama spends our tax dollars,” Rogers told The Daily Caller. “This proposal would allow the conservative, Republican-controlled House to reassert its Constitutional authority over the Obama Administration and the spending decisions it is currently making.”
In spite of Rogers’ efforts, the Republican-controlled House will continue its prohibition on earmarks when the next sessions of Congress begins in January.
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