By John Kline

The system by which Washington spends your money is broken – and needs to be reformed.

In Washington today, Congress decides how to spend much of your hard-earned tax dollars through an “earmark” system that is both broken and corrupt.  Any member of Congress can request funding for a project – no matter how outlandish it may be.  And you would be shocked at how Congress decides which of these “earmarks” will receive funding. 

Most Minnesotans who manage their own family budgets would expect Washington to base projects on their merit.  But rather than using an orderly, reasoned system for setting priorities on how taxpayer money is spent on earmarks, decisions in Washington are based on a Member’s seniority, committee assignment, or party affiliation.  This is wrong.  And what is worse is there is no accountability.  Members of Congress are not even required to disclose to taxpayers what projects they have requested funding for.

In an effort to make sure your tax dollars are spent wisely and reform a broken system abused by both Democrats and Republicans, a growing number of members of Congress are not requesting earmarks.  More than 30,000 requests were made last year for pork-barrel projects ranging from teapot museums to lighting for the posh and tony L.A. Fashion District.  Minnesotans should not be asked to spend their hard-earned money on lighting for an upscale shopping mall for Hollywood’s elite when there are much-needed projects here at home.  Federal spending priorities should be based on a project’s merit rather than having Washington’s politicians award money based on an entirely arbitrary system.

Last year, Congress spent more than $15 Billion on earmarks.  Supporters of this broken system argue that earmarks account for just 2 percent of total spending appropriated by Congress.  Attempts to minimize Washington’s annual spending spree by belittling $15 Billion – an amount equivalent to the entire annual budget for the state of Minnesota – are insulting to Minnesota taxpayers who are tightening their budgets to pay for the soaring cost of gas and other everyday household items.

An example of how Congress spends your money: In order for a member of Congress to secure funding for much-needed transportation projects in their own district, like the intersection of County Road 5 and Highway 13 in Burnsville, for example, I was forced to vote for a bloated $286 billion transportation authorization bill that included the infamous $223 million “Bridge to Nowhere.”  Worthwhile initiatives should not be pitted against projects prioritized solely by seniority.  That is why Congress needs to fix this broken system. 

The only way for members to take on this battle for major reform and maintain any credibility is to come at it from the outside and not request any earmarks.  Last year, I was practically alone in refusing to request earmarks and calling for comprehensive reform.  This year, the ranks are growing.  Currently, nearly 50 House members – including California Democrat Henry Waxman – are sitting out of this round of the wasteful pork-barrel spending process and working for much needed change to the way Washington spends your hard-earned money.  Meanwhile, many colleagues in Congress continue to bring home the bacon as they reach deeper and deeper into taxpayers’ wallets for pork projects that range from lavish to laughable. 

Earlier this year, House Republicans sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi calling for an immediate halt to earmarking.  We also called for the establishment of a bipartisan committee to identify ways to bring fundamental change to the way Congress spends taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars.  Unfortunately, Majority Leadership rejected our call for reform and, currently, the 2008 pork-barrel spending game is under way and the race to the trough is on.

In this time of economic uncertainty, Minnesotans are naturally growing more concerned with how their tax dollars are being spent.  In Washington, we can begin to earn back their trust by enacting comprehensive bipartisan earmark reform – and stopping the pork.  As members of Congress, we should continue to work for Americans, not at the trough of broken principles, but by fighting to rid Washington of wasteful pork-barrel spending.