In the very first session of Congress this year, the newly Democratic-led House of Representatives passed a resolution requiring members to disclose the earmarks they have placed in spending bills. It would identify what is was for, how much it is for and which House member requested it. This was hailed as fulfilling a promise [...]

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The New York Times reported that Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, David Obey, has decided to change how each congressmember’s pet pork barrel projects, known as earmarks, get reviewed. He’s decided that the 36,000 earmarks will be posted in the Congressional Record one month before they’ll be voted on for final approval. That’s 36,000 [...]

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The House Judiciary Committee has pulled a truly galling maneuver. They have removed a provision from HR 2316, ironically titled the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007, that would have required congressional staff to publicly disclose that they were negotiating for a job outside of Congress. The favorite career choice for Congressmen, Congresswomen, [...]

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