On the Blog: Earmark Transparency FAIL

While Congress is on summer recess, WashingtonWatch.com has been collecting earmark data. (More on that in the coming weeks.) But some representatives have made it very hard to learn about their earmarks. Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) is one. His earmark disclosures violate Senate Appropriations Committee rules, but he’s still getting earmark money.

Read about it in a post titled: “Bingaman Gets Paid to Flout Approps Rules.”

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Featured Items

The House and Senate continue their summer recess this week.

When they return in mid-September, they will have to quickly pass spending legislation for the 2011 fiscal year, which begins October 1st.

Those spending bills are the vehicles for doling out earmarks, including the badly reported ones discussed in this week’s featured blog post.

Bills pending in both the Senate and House would require Congress to create a “unified and searchable database” of congressional earmarks, which would vastly improve the public’s ability to oversee the practice of earmarking.

S. 3335 and H.R. 5258 are both entitled the Earmark Transparency Act. Both bills have the support of a bipartisan list of cosponsors, and the Senate bill has already passed out of committee, preparing it for the Senate floor.

Cost estimates for the bills are not yet available.

S. 3335
The Earmark Transparency Act

H.R. 5258
The Earmark Transparency Act of 2010

What People Think

The Earmark Transparency Act 74% For, 26% Against Vote on this Bill

The Earmark Transparency Act of 2010 77% For, 23% Against Vote on this Bill

Displayed below are new, updated, and passed items with their cost or savings per family.

New Items

H.R. 903
The Dental Emergency Responder Act of 2009
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 2798
The National Forest Insect and Disease Emergency Act of 2009
Costs $0.00 per family

H.R. 4195
To authorize the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation to establish a commemorative work in the District of Columbia and its environs, and for other purposes
Costs $0.00 per family

H.R. 4347
The Department of the Interior Tribal Self-Governance Act of 2009
Costs $0.04 per family

S. 3234
The Veteran Employment Assistance Act of 2010
Costs $0.82 per family

H.R. 5710
The National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Reauthorization Act of 2010
Costs $0.45 per family

H.R. 5897
The Economic Revitalization and Innovation Act of 2010
Costs $11.09 per family

H.R. 3470
The Nationally Enhancing the Wellbeing of Babies through Outreach and Research Now Act
Costs $0.39 per family

S. 3303
The Chimney Rock National Monument Act of 2010
Costs $0.04 per family

H.R. 5717
The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Enhancement Act
Costs $0.04 per family

S. 2971
The Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011
Costs $226.62 per family

S. 3396
The Supply Star Act of 2010
Costs $0.29 per family

H.R. 5504
The Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act
Costs $390.28 per family

H.R. 5637
The American Jobs Matter Act of 2010
Costs $0.00 per family

P.L. 111-230
Making emergency supplemental appropriations for border security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010, and for other purposes
Costs $10.28 per family

H.R. 2430
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to continue stocking fish in certain lakes in the North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area
Costs $0.00 per family

H.R. 3421
The Medical Debt Relief Act of 2009
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 1651
A bill to modify a land grant patent issued by the Secretary of the Interior
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 1816
The Chesapeake Clean Water and Ecosystem Restoration Act of 2009
Costs $17.02 per family

S. 3075
The North Fork Watershed Protection Act of 2010
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 3490
The Spectrum Relocation Improvement Act of 2010
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 3568
A bill to amend the Trade Act of 1974 to create a Citrus Disease Research and Development Trust Fund to support research on diseases impacting the citrus industry, and for other purposes
Costs $1.10 per family

H.R. 5388
To expand the boundaries of the Cibola National Forest in the State of New Mexico
Costs $0.00 per family

H.R. 305
The Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2009
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 518
The Star-Spangled Banner and War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission Act
Costs $0.02 per family

S. 679
The Heavy Duty Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 2009
Costs $0.30 per family

H.R. 2523
The HEARTH Act
Costs $0.00 per family

H.R. 2853
The All-American Flag Act
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 2900
The Gas Turbine Efficiency Act of 2009
Costs $2.91 per family

H.R. 5110
The Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Boundary Modification Act of 2010
Costs $0.06 per family

Updated Items

H.R. 2442
The Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program Expansion Act of 2009
Costs $0.33 per family

H.R. 1612
The Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2009
Costs $1.19 per family

Passed Items

none