Inouye slams Obey's decision to ban for-profit earmarks

The Senate’s top appropriator, Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), on Wednesday said “it does not make sense” to exclude for-profit companies from congressional earmarks.

Inouye slammed the "quizzical" decision by Rep. David Obey’s (D-Wis.), the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, to not approve any requests directed to for-profit entities.

“I don’t believe this policy or ceding authority to the Executive Branch on any spending decision is in the best interests of the Congress or the American people,” Inouye said in a statement. “In my view, it does not make sense to discriminate against for-profit organizations.  I am not sure why we should treat for-profit earmarks any differently than non-profit earmarks.”

Inouye said that he was “troubled” by what the new House policy “insinuates.”

“It seems to suggest that for-profit entities are corrupt and non-profit entities are above reproach,” he said.

“The truth of the matter is that many, if not most, for-profit and non-profit entities lobby for themselves or employ lobbyists.  That is how most of them make the Congress aware of their products and services.  It is no secret that these meetings take place.”

Inouye also said that earmarks to for-profit companies undergo competition.

“What is the rationale to eliminate them?  All earmarks are also subject to the strict transparency rules that were implemented at the beginning of last year, including a single location on the Committee website that links to a list of every Senator’s earmark requests.  I would also note that all Senators file statements declaring that they and their immediate families have no financial stake in any earmark request.”

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