Bush Urges Congress to Cut Earmarks by Half Next Year
By Martha Angle
Congressional Quarterly
January 3, 2007
President Bush, seeking to frame the fiscal debate for the coming year, on Wednesday called on the new Democratic-controlled Congress to move toward a balanced budget and cut member “earmarks” by at least half next year.
His proposal was short on specifics. In particular, he gave no indication of what baseline he would use for measuring any reduction in earmarks — provisions that members insert in appropriations, authorization or tax bills to benefit a specific project, institution or company. Typically, but not always, these earmarks are funneled to the member’s home district or state.
In remarks following a morning meeting with his Cabinet, Bush said the fiscal 2008 budget he will submit to Congress next month would erase the deficit over five years. He said his blueprint would achieve a balanced budget without resorting to tax increases or skimping on spending for the military and homeland security.
In effect, Bush was warning the new Democratic leadership on Capitol Hill against anticipated efforts to pare back some of his tax reductions for the wealthiest Americans.
“Over the past few years, pro-growth economic policies have generated higher revenues,” Bush said. “Together with spending restraint, these policies allowed us to meet our goal of cutting the budget deficit in half three years ahead of schedule.”
His new budget, he said, would “restrain spending while setting priorities” and would “keep this economy growing by making tax relief permanent.”
Bush praised the decision of the incoming chairmen of the House and Senate Appropriations committees, Rep. David R. Obey, D-Wis., and Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., to exclude member earmarks from a fiscal 2007 continuing resolution they will draft to fund most government agencies through Sept. 30, the end of the current fiscal year.
“This is a good start, and I appreciate their position,” Bush said.
He urged lawmakers “to adopt real reform that requires full disclosure of the sponsors, the costs, the recipients, and the justifications for every earmark.” He also said Congress “needs to cut the number and cost of earmarks next year by at least half.”
Bush renewed his call for line-item veto authority that would allow him to excise individual items from spending bills rather than being forced to sign or veto the entire measure. Proposals to give the president enhanced rescission power, rather than outright line-item veto authority, died in the just-ended 109th Congress.
