Washington Post: Thirty-Three Members Push Through More Than $300 Million In Earmarks For Projects Near Their Own Properties

The Washington Post has an incredible article today on how thirty-three members of Congress have more than $300 million in earmarks and other spending provisions to dozens of public projects that are next to or within about two miles of the lawmakers’ own property. So much for the pledges from both Republicans and Democrats to clean up government.

The Post notes one U.S. Senator pushed through more than $100 million in federal earmarks to renovate downtown Tuscaloosa near his own commercial office building while a Georgia congressman grabbed $6.3 million in taxpayer funds “to replenish the beach about 900 feet from his island vacation cottage.”

I have previously written (here and here) about the sordid ethical rules and procedures in Congress, including the lack of serious conflict of interest rules. This is due to how the ethics rules are written by the members themselves to allow for such self-advancing bills.

Source: Washington Post