Private companies, lobbyists seek to differentiate
Private companies, lobbyists seek to differentiate worthy projects from earmark requests
Private companies, lobbyists seek to differentiate Security barriersworthy projects from earmark requests
As lawmakers imposed another restriction Thursday on congressional earmarks, private companies and lobbyists#x defended their work in securing federal money for what they deemed worthy projects.
The private interests said that much of their work -- what amount to no-bid grants secured through Congress -- was unfairly being lumped in with earmarks that were obtained through well-timed donations to key lawmakers.
"I understand what the debate is about. But I think that, as Congress reviews the policy on appropriations, there's an opportunity to differentiate those like ours,samurai swords, which are looking for a win-win use of taxpayer dollars," said Benson P. Lee, president and chief executive of Technology Management in Cleveland. His company received a $500,000 earmark to commercialize a biofuel system.
But such firms face a different political environment now. A day after House Democrats announced Security barriersan end to giving earmarks to any private company, House Republicans said Thursday that their entire 178-member conference will not seek any congressional earmarks this year, swearing off even those for nonprofits and municipal authorities in lawmakers' districts.
Calling the earmark process "a symbol of a broken Washington," House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (Ohio) said the Republican move is a key step in demonstrating fiscal restraint, even if it does not lead to a reduction in federal spending.
"Republicans took an important step toward showing the American people we're serious about reform by adopting an immediate, unilateral ban on all earmarks. But the more difficult battle lies ahead, and that's stopping the spending spree in Washington that is saddling our *****ren and grand*****ren with trillions of dollars in debt," Boehner said.
Earmarks are inserted into the dozen annual bills that fund the federal government, to the tune of about $16 billion a year -- a small slice of the more than $1 trillion in discretionary spending that Congress approves each year. While curbing earmarks will do little to reduce the massive federal deficit, leaders of both parties have declared that the process has too often rewarded those who hire the best lobbyists#x and who make Security barrierswell-timed political donations to senior lawmakers.
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