Committed to “addressing Alaska’s enormous infrastructure needs, U.S. Sen. Mark Begich today announced his opposition to President Obama and national Republicans who favor a ban on congressionally-directed spending commonly known as earmarks,” according to a press release.
While supporting full disclosure of requested and funded earmarks, Begich said he’ll continue to fight for Alaska’s fair share of federal dollars to bring Alaska’s roads, ports, airports, and other public facilities up to the standards taken for granted in other states.
[…]
Begich said complaints that earmarks contribute to the national debt are overstated. For example, last year earmarks comprised less than one percent of the federal budget. Begich said he supports measures to reduce overall federal spending, including a freeze on some types of discretionary spending.
(credit image – daylife/associated press)
Congress in Your Pocket
Sen. John McCain today tried to ban earmarks by attaching his earmark ban to another bill. That is, he earmarked his anti-earmark bill. It doesn’t get more hypocritical than that. – Read it at MuddyPolitics.com: http://bit.ly/avun5G