Response from Senator Casey
Who
gives him the right to spend on
projects he sees fit to support, who anointed him,
and the rest of
Congress to this position of gift giver of
our money?
Do you want to stop this behavior? TERM LIMITS!
We
will get a new President in
January, we need a new Congress to go with him.
-----
Original Message -----
To:
ccs1@comcast.net
Sent:
Friday, August 01, 2008 5:47 PM
Subject:
Response from Senator Casey
Dear Mr. DiPrimio:
Thank you for taking the time to contact me with your concerns about
federal
spending for congressionally-directed projects, otherwise known as
earmarks. I
appreciate hearing from all Pennsylvanians about the issues that matter
most to
them.
Members of Congress have traditionally sought funding in annual
spending bills
for specific projects designed to spur economic development, improve
infrastructure,
foster innovation and strengthen vital social services. In many cases,
this
process provides the only means by which communities can obtain
significant
federal support for important projects.
Since joining the Senate, I have worked to secure such funding for
initiatives
across Pennsylvania. In fiscal year 2008, for example, some of the
projects I
sponsored provided funding to help construct a cancer care center in
Crawford
County, to support a pre-kindergarten program in Harrisburg, and to
improve
street lighting in Reading. I am proud to support targeted initiatives
designed
to promote economic growth and improve the quality of life in
Pennsylvania.
Each project submitted to my office is subjected to considerable
scrutiny, and
I have made it a point to provide the public with timely information on
the
projects I have sponsored in federal spending bills. If you would like
to
access information on the projects I have supported, I invite you to
visit my
website at the address below.
While earmarks represent a small portion of the annual federal budget
(about
one half of one percent of all spending in fiscal year 2008), the need
for
transparency and accountability is essential to ensuring the public's
confidence in this process. During the 110th Congress, I was proud to
join my
colleagues in passing legislation that improves the public's ability to
monitor
the congressional earmarking process. The bill, S. 1, the Honest
Leadership and
Open Government Act of 2007, became law on September 14, 2007, and
includes
some meaningful earmark reforms. First, this legislation requires that
each
project included in a spending bill lists the names of the Members of
Congress
who requested it. No longer will a project receive funding without the
public
knowing exactly who advocated for it. Second, S. 1 greatly inhibits the
ability
of lawmakers to include earmarks in the final stage of a bill's
consideration
in Congress. This practice, known as earmark "air-dropping,"
previously permitted lawmakers to insert last minute projects into a
bill. On
too many occasions, it allowed some Members to avoid subjecting
projects to the
necessary scrutiny and vetting. Finally, and perhaps most importantly,
this
bill requires Members of Congress to certify in writing that neither
they nor
their immediate family members have any personal financial interest in
any of
the projects for which they have submitted a request.
Although S. 1 represent a major step forward in opening this process to
further
scrutiny, there is still more work to be done. Congress can, and
should, do
more to ensure that federal funds are spent in a fiscally-responsible
and
transparent manner. As Congress continues to consider reforms to this
process,
please be assured that I will keep your views about this issue in mind.
My
priority will be to advocate for proposals that not only benefit
Pennsylvania
but also stand up to the scrutiny that all taxpayer-funded projects
deserve.
Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not
hesitate to
contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance
to you.
As I mentioned, if you have access to the Internet, I encourage you to
visit my
web site, http://casey.senate.gov.
I
invite you to use this online office as a comprehensive resource to
stay
up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office
or share
with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to
Pennsylvania.
Sincerely,
Bob Casey
United States Senator