A House Republican leading efforts to reform the earmarking process has come under fire from House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) for privately telling him he supports earmarks.
Obey said Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), who has sponsored legislation that would ban earmarks this year, privately told him he was in favor of earmarks.
{mosads}“You know, David, I am really for earmarks,” Obey said Kingston told him.
“I said, ‘Yes, Jack, I do know,’” said Obey, who added that Kingston made numerous requests for earmarks last year to the appropriations panel.
Kingston confirmed the conversation, but said it reflected his beliefs about reforming the appropriations process.
“What I have told David privately and what I have said publicly is the same thing. I have been very upfront,” said Kingston in a phone interview with The Hill.
Kingston said Obey has been “very irritated” with his push for reform. “I don’t understand why it has generated so much criticism from David because he has been critical of Republicans earmarking so much,” he said.
Kingston said he supports Congress’s prerogative to earmark and has supported worthy projects for his district. But the thirst for lawmakers’ pet projects has gotten out of control and needs to be reined in, he said.
“Earmarks got out of control on Republican watch. I think it is truly one of the reasons why we lost the majority,” said Kingston.
The eight-term Republican sponsored earmarks worth roughly $100 million either by himself or with other lawmakers, according to data compiled by Taxpayers for Common Sense, a budget watchdog group. Kingston’s earmark total was the 13th-highest of all House members for the 2008 appropriations bills.
Obey’s comments come on the heels of a letter he sent to lawmakers Wednesday that asked them to check one box if they planned to continue to make earmark requests this year or a second if they would not.
“It is the hypocrisy antidote,” Obey said.
Kingston, along with Reps. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) and Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.), have authored a resolution that would ban the projects this year and establish a bipartisan, bicameral panel to study and fix the earmarking process. The bill currently has 158 cosponsors and has served as a model for the Republicans’ new earmark standards.
Obey has expressed frustration with the projects as well. “I have never been for earmarks but I have always accepted them as a member of the House,” said the House Appropriations chairman.
No Republicans have responded to the Obey letter, according to Kirstin Brost, a spokeswoman for the committee.