Cornyn: Senate Misses Historic Opportunity On Earmark Reform
Press Release
Cornyn: Senate Misses Historic Opportunity On Earmark Reform
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn made the following statement today regarding the Senate's consideration of the House-Senate agreement on S. 1, the Ethics Reform Bill:
"When the Senate first passed this ethics reform bill in January, it was an important step forward in reforming the way we do business in Washington. I was proud to support it because every American has the right to know how their tax dollars are being spent and who in Congress is advocating which local projects.
"Unfortunately, in recent months, the Democratic leadership has worked behind closed doors to strip this legislation of the transparency and disclosure taxpayers deserve. In January, we voted for a sensible rule requiring that every congressional spending earmark and its sponsor be disclosed before voting on the legislation. The Democratic Leader's new bill rewrites this rule to allow himself and the appropriations committee chairman to certify' that a piece of legislation meets the rule without having to disclose it to the public. This is a perfect example of the fox guarding the henhouse.
"The American people are tired of games and tricks, which distract them with one hand, while the other secretly writes checks. We want responsibility, we want accountability, and most of all, we want transparency. This watered-down legislation provides for none of that. It is the veneer of earmark reform without any of the substance behind it.
"The effort by the Democratic Leader to strip this bill of this critical provision is shocking. It is an affront to the millions of Americans who were promised real earmark reform and I will not be part of a sham effort to mislead them into thinking otherwise."
Sen. Cornyn serves on the Armed Services, Judiciary and Budget Committees. In addition, he is Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics. He serves as the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee's Immigration, Refugees and Border Security subcommittee and the Armed Services Committee's Airland subcommittee.
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