Murkowski Votes Against Earmarks Ban
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today voted against considering a proposal that would impose a three-year moratorium on earmarks in both appropriations and authorization bills. The proposal, which failed, was offered as an amendment to an unrelated bill that pertains to food safety. Murkowski voted for the food safety bill.
“Today’s vote was long on bravado but short on substance. The notion that Congress would turn federal spending responsibilities over to unelected government bureaucrats is wrong and goes against the Constitution’s mandate that gives the legislative branch the power of the purse. Most importantly, an earmark moratorium won’t reduce federal spending by one cent or decrease the deficit. We recognize that we need to stop out-of-control spending, but we need to make sure that any action we take actually translates into spending and deficit reduction rather than just messaging.”
“There’s no question that we need to cut runaway federal spending. But once a top line budget number is set, I will always fight hard to ensure that Alaska receives its fair share through an open and transparent appropriations and authorization process. At the end of the day, an earmark moratorium is nothing more than a shell game that moves the money and the decision-making responsibility from Congress to the bureaucracy.
“I am pleased to report that the Alaska congressional delegation is united on this issue.”
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