Accountability And Transparency

Floor Speech

ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY -- (House of Representatives - June 12, 2007)

(Mr. WILSON of South Carolina asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, this week Democrat leaders will begin pushing their appropriations bills through the House without proper analysis or consideration.

Less than a year ago, the Democrats' top House leader proclaimed that her caucus was committed to restoring integrity to Congress. Specifically, she stated that ``Democrats would bring full accountability and transparency to all earmarks, those in the authorization bills as well as those in appropriations bills.'' Yet today, even Democrat CNN has editorialized that promised reform is not happening.

Last year, Republicans passed legislation to identify all earmarks by the sponsoring Members' names and Members being allowed to challenge individual earmarks on the House floor.

In conclusion, God bless our troops and we will never forget September 11. We will always appreciate the courage of Ronald Reagan who declared 20 years today, ``Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,'' promoting freedom in Berlin and victory over communism.

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