McCaskill Statement on Senate Republicans’ Vote to Continue Earmark Ban

WASHINGTON – After the Senate Republican Conference voted today to continue the Senate’s ban on earmarks, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, the Senate’s leading Democratic opponent of earmarking, who has criticized the U.S. House of Representatives for attempting to bring back earmarks—released the following statement:

“This is great news, and I congratulate Senate Republicans for having more sense than their colleagues in the House of Representatives.”

Days after Donald J. Trump was elected President with a promise to “drain the swamp,” reports surfaced that U.S. House Republicans were headed into a secret meeting where an attempt would be made to bring back congressional earmarks—taxpayer funding for politicians’ pet projects. McCaskill, the top Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, called on Missouri’s U.S. House delegation to reject such a vote, and pledged to use Senate rules to strip any earmarks that emerge from the U.S. House. While House Republican leadership postponed a vote, they pledged to revisit the issue this year, and McCaskill has vowed to continue fighting against the return of earmarks.

For years, the earmarking process was notorious for its secrecy and lack of oversight or accountability, with funding for politicians' pet projects often awarded based on political influence instead of on merit. McCaskill has never requested any earmarks, and has led the fight to permanently ban earmarks from the legislative process. After working with her colleagues to establish the current, temporary ban on earmarks, McCaskill joined her Senate Republicans colleagues in introducing the Earmark Elimination Act, which would make the moratorium on earmarks a permanent ban. Specifically, the legislation would ban all earmarks, and define earmarks as any congressionally directed spending item, limited tax benefit, or limited tariff benefit. McCaskill plans to join Republican Senator Jeff Flake in reintroducing that legislation this year.

Visit mccaskill.senate.gov/spending to see more about McCaskill’s fight to protect taxpayer dollars.

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