Earmarks Under Review (1/18/2008)

The fiscal year 2008 budget debates have not ended. Last week we detailed how the U.S. Department of Education revised the numbers produced by Congress due to slight calculation errors. While the changes were not significant, they were enough to give fiscal administrators pause.

This week, the discussion turned to the earmarks in the final appropriation bill continued. Before signing the fiscal year 2008 (FY08) appropriations bill on December 26th, President Bush stated his intention to scrutinize all the earmarks in the bill. “I am instructing budget director Jim Nussle to review options for dealing with wasteful spending in the omnibus bill.” Now Congress returns over the next two weeks expecting an executive order, or some administrative measure, by the President to direct agencies to ignore spending earmarks.

This will not go over well with the Congressional appropriators, neither Democrat nor Republican, who will certainly resist any infringement on their legislative prerogative. The National Journal reports that President Reagan was the last President to threaten earmarks in such a manner. In 1988, Reagan ordered his budget director Jim Miller to scrutinize earmarks in a legislative measure, but the Congressional leadership in both parties trounced the effort.

Many expect the same result from President Bush’s effort. It is certain that, if Bush executes such an order, that the chairmen and ranking members of the appropriations committees and the Republican and Democratic leadership will reject any limitations to their power of the purse. This is not a tolerable precedent for Congress. That much is certain.

Resource:
“Congress Braces For Potential Anti-Earmark Executive Order,” National Journal, January 14, 2008.
Larry Kudlow, “Bush’s Very Good Year,” National Review Online, December 21, 2007, http://article.nationalreview.com/
Author: DAD