Earmark reform is a hot topic inside the beltway. Republicans, after six years of busting the budget, increased the use of earmarks to unprecedented levels during their reign. For example, the Labor Health and Human Services bill went from having very few earmarks in 1995, to containing $1.2 billion in 2006. These same Republicans, now the minority in Congress, are trying to portray themselves as the true defenders of the purse, disparaging Democrats as we seek to install new transparency rules making this the most open Congress in history. The American public won’t be that easily fooled.
