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PELOSI'S HOUSE OF HYPOCRISY

California Republican Chairman Ron Nehring expressed his disappointment over the Democrat Party's hypocrisy on earmark reform and asked Speaker Nancy Pelosi as to why she had broken her promise on earmarks. 

"In December, House Democrat leader Pelosi said ‘We will bring transparency and openness to the budget process and to the use of earmarks, and we will give the American people the leadership they deserve.'  But since then, the Democrats have gone out of their way to not only preserve earmarks, but to keep them as secret as possible," Nehring said. 

Upon taking power in 2007, Democrats in congress gutted the earmark reform of 2006 and immediately passed rule changes preventing Members from challenging individual earmarks on the House floor, and allowing Democrat committee chairmen to unilaterally and officially declare bills ‘earmark-free,' even if they actually include hundreds of earmarks. 

"The Democrat slush fund for earmarks will be funded by the largest tax increase in American history," Nehring added.  "Entrusting the Democrat chairman to privately monitor tens of thousands of taxpayer funded, secret earmarks that will be distributed behind closed doors, is a far cry from the campaign promises last fall." 

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Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

"We pledge to make this the most honest, ethical, and open Congress in history." (Christian Science Monitor, 11/14/2006)

"You can't have bridges to nowhere for America's children to pay for.  Or if you do, you have to know whose it is."  (USA Today, 11/12/06)

"[B]efore members vote on the bill, there should be an appropriate time for people to be able to read it, that it be a matter of public record. And if there's an earmark that can stand the scrutiny, then that transparency will give the opportunity for it to be there." (Federal News Service, 3/17/06)

 "This is a place where we really need to throw up the shades and pull back the curtains, and just says we have to have the fullest possible disclosure, and it has to be on earmarks in appropriations, in authorizations and in taxation.  And it has to be across the board, with no escape hatches."  (News Conference, 9/14/2006)

"We will bring transparency and openness to the budget process and to the use of earmarks, and we will give the American people the leadership they deserve." (Release, 12/11/2006)