Not long ago, a member of congress (a Republican, no less) suggested that we could put a prettier face on federal earmarks by calling them "member initiated appropriations."
I'll say this: the acronym (MIA) is certainly appropriate, but it could just as easily refer to our principles if we continue with the practice of pork barrel legislation.
There is perhaps no better example than the practice of earmarking of where we, as Republicans, have lost our fiscal bearings.
Because the Democrats are unlikely to substantively reform earmarking, there is a great opportunity for Republicans to do what is both right and politically popular by ending the practice.
As in previous years, I will continue to offer numerous amendments to appropriation bills in an effort to enforce our own rules in the House against unauthorized pork
barrel spending.
Read Pork Barrel Spending Blog Posts
