Getting Religion on Earmarks

Mitch McConnell is the latest convert to the idea of banning earmarks in spending bills:

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) announced Monday that he would join a GOP effort to ban congressional earmarks, a stunning turnaround that reflects a huge victory for the Tea Party movement.

A senior member of the Appropriations Committee, McConnell has been one of the Senate’s strongest proponents of local pork, but watched the practice fall into disfavor amid growing public anger over Washington spending that fueled GOP victories in this month’s midterm election.

“There is simply no doubt that the abuse of this practice has caused Americans to view it as a symbol of the waste and out-of-control spending that every Republican in Washington is determined to fight,” McConnell said Monday in a speech on the Senate floor.

“And unless people like me show the American people that we’re willing to follow through on small or even symbolic things, we risk losing them on our broader efforts to cut spending and rein in government,” he said.

Banning earmarks will not necessarily reduce the budget because the funds will still be appropriated in large blocks. What the banning of earmarks does is prevent lawmakers from directing funds to their favorite political cronies and contributors, or to unnecessary projects that benefit their district. Half of West Virginia is named after Robert Byrd because of earmarks. The Airport to Nowhere in Pennsylvania, which has state-of-the-art facilities but only a couple of flights a day to Washington D.C., got there because of earmarks from John Murtha.

The voters said to knock it off, and McConnell is wise to listen.