Rep. Kind Applauds Earmark Ban for For-Profit Companies

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) today applauded the House Appropriations Committee for starting a new policy to refrain from approving earmark requests directed to for-profit entities.  

“I have been calling for the banning of corporate earmarks for some time.  In fact, I proposed a bill to do just this last year and am pleased that the Appropriations Committee has included some of my provisions in this policy.  By banning earmarks for for-profit companies, these entities will have to go through the normal competitive bidding process which has been proven to be fair and transparent.  We must continue working to ensure greater transparency and increased fiscal responsibility in the earmark process.”

Rep. Kind continues to lead the effort for earmark reform by forgoing earmark requests and introducing multiple forms of legislation to reform the process, including bipartisan legislation he introduced last year to ban all congressional earmarks for for-profit entities, similar to the new policy.  In total, Rep. Kind voted to oppose $12.1 billion worth of earmarks in 2009.  

In the past, earmark requests for for-profit companies have caused legal and ethical problems for lawmakers.  Removing corporate earmark requests will ensure that all companies have the opportunity to competitively bid.  This will also limit growing influence of lobbyists on Members of Congress.

“Having investigated some of Senator Bill Proxmire’s Golden Fleece awards, I learned to be a good steward of taxpayer dollars and have long been committed to fiscal responsibility. This policy is a step in the right direction but more work has to be done.  We must comprehensively reform the process to fix the earmarking system”