President Bush says he wants to trim the use of congressionally designated provisions in future spending measures. Such “earmarks,” which often are for highways or other construction projects, have been included for years in annual appropriations and multi-year authorization bills, such as 2005’s Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users.
Bush said during a Dec. 20 press conference that he had met with new Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and supports what he calls “their disdain for earmarks.” Besides cutting the number of earmarks, Bush says he wants the process to be “more transparent and more accountable.” That may include identifying earmarks’ sponsors.