Earmark Reform Adopted

Earmark Reform Adopted
Rep. Boozman casts vote for transparency in funding

U.S. Representative John Boozman (R-AR) joined House Republicans today in passing a House rule change, which will lead to greater transparency in the funding process.

Boozman voted for H.Res. 1003, which provides for the passage of H.Res. 1000 - which reforms the earmarking process of the House of Representatives.

The change, which does not require the assent of the Senate, it is now against House rules for Members to anonymously insert earmarks - or targeted spending - into legislation.

An earmark is defined as "a provision that allocates funds outside of the normal formula-driven or competitive bidding process and targets those funds to a specific entity, state or congressional district."

Earmarks must be listed not only for bills coming out of committees, but also in conference reports and amendments adopted on the House floor.

"This is an important first step toward reforming the way we do business in Washington," Boozman said. "By making the earmark process more transparent, we are promoting accountability in how we spend the people's money.

"This is an important step toward restoring the public's confidence that the legislative process is based on integrity.

"We can now move forward toward winnowing away pork from the budget," Boozman added. "I helped found a small business in Rogers, Ark., and spending beyond our means was never an option. It is my hope we can take today's success and build upon it so that we can create good spending habits in Congress, which will lead to balanced budgets, lower taxes, less inflation and more economic growth."

http://boozman.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=50133