Why are you allowed to put earmarks in a bill you don't support?

[Bonn1997]

I don't get how this works. Isn't the rest of the Congress basically doing a favor for that one Congressman (or Congresswoman) by helping out his district with an earmark that assigns money for a project in that district? So why go out of their way to help out a Congressman who's voting against the bill? I don't know much about how this works and am hoping someone can explain it.

[lob1]

1. I'm hoping someone can explain it, too, because I sure don't get it.

It seems to me, if the guy who puts in the earmark votes against the bill, his earmark should not be in it.

[Ian David]

2. That might be something we should change next.

If you don't vote for the bill, you don't get the earmarks you put in it.

[Incitatus]

3. Obama needs the line-item-veto so he can cut the earmarks of anyone who doesn't vote for the bill.

[Bonn1997]

5. Why Can't the Congress Do That?

Why can't Pelosi/Reid in the House/Senate or the specific bill authors just remove the earmarks of those who make it clear they're against the bill before the official vote is taken?

[Incitatus]

7. I'm not sure. Maybe..

they have the support of someone else who is voting for the bill (Senator A will vote for the bill, but only if you allow his earmark and Senator B's earmark, and Senator B gets to oppose it.) Depending on how bad they need the votes, just a few Republicans can say, you need to pass all these earmarks or the bill will not pass. A few Republicans take the heat, and all the rest of the Republicans get to take home some pork.

[Bonn1997]

9. Interesting possibility

[Deja Q]

4. Spirit of bipartisanship? Cajoling? Even pandering? I do not know.

I think it's the first option, however. An attempt at bipartisanship. "We know you don't dig this bill but we'll let you have this ear that's otherwise marked as dog food" or whatever?

[radfringe]

6. so you can say you voted against the bill

when it passes and get your money and come election time you can say you brought home $X's worth of money


this way you can have your pork and eat it too

[sandnsea]

8. The other is called bribery

When you only put earmarks in to get votes, it isn't looked upon too kindly either.

The thing is, the earmarks are to fix the problem of local politics not funding what the federal govt intended.

[Bonn1997]

11. Hmmm. Those are definitely good points.

[Bonn1997]

12. There should really be some middle ground though. For example,

there could be an unofficial rule that if you actively and publicly criticize a bill in which you were allowed to put earmarks in, then that will be the last time in this Congress (i.e., until the next elections) that you get the privilege of putting earmarks in a bill.

[sandnsea]

13. If you publicly criticize

the bill you've got earmarks in, then the DNC will put up a billboard in the main seat of your district instead of wasting money on Rush Limbaugh.

[steven johnson]

10. So You Can Have It Both Ways

A kind of 'Saliva' experience.

You've heard the lyrics from Saliva "I love you, I hate you, I can't live without you."
I think they're borderline.

Always