Junior senator becomes latest Republican to reject earmarks

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., withdrew his fiscal 2011 earmark requests Wednesday, highlighting the tension between the efforts of Senate Republicans to denounce what they call excessive government spending and attempts to still deliver funding for projects in their states.

"I realize I am one junior senator in the minority, but given our country's fiscal condition, I could not in good conscience keep my name next to any earmark requests this year," Corker said in a statement. "It is not necessarily the overall cost of federal earmarks, which represents a very small portion of the overall budget that poses a problem; it's the process, which is fundamentally flawed and lacks oversight."

Corker withdrew his requests in a letter to top members of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

He joins Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., Jim DeMint, R-S.C., Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Mike Johanns, R-Neb., in eschewing earmark requests.

DeMint and others have called for Senate Republicans to take a break from earmarks; House Republicans have already been asked by their leaders to not take earmarks this year.

"I think we should have a moratorium," said Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga. "I think it is important that we back up, take a deep breath just to analyze where we are."

But Isakson said he would not go it alone. "In the absence of a moratorium, I don't think you should let people who appropriate [dollars for] non-authorized projects to run away with all the money," he said. "It's a two-way street. You've got to make sure you are doing the right thing for the people you represent."

Many Senate Republicans express irritation with colleagues who avoid earmarks, arguing the money is spent regardless and will otherwise be directed by federal agencies.

"It's ridiculous," said Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla. "They are letting President Obama decide how to spend the money for them. I trust myself more than him."

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said he was "not prepared to say we should take a one-year timeout."

He cited improvements in transparency in the process. "But to go from there to say we are going to let the administration ... make all the decisions on spending is a leap too far in my opinion."

According to Taxpayers for Common Sense, Wicker secured $368 million for his state in fiscal 2010, the third-highest amount in the Senate.

Senate Republican Policy Committee Chairman John Thune of South Dakota said that while earmarks account for a fraction of federal spending, Republican efforts to denounce what they call Democratic deficits are complicated by "the perception" that earmarks contribute to the deficit.

Thune said that as Republicans ratchet up anti-spending rhetoric, more senators may avoid earmark requests this year.

But Thune and other Republicans noted that with the Senate unlikely to pass multiple appropriations bills because of this year's elections, sacrificing home state projects is not a major concession.

"I don't think our guys are going to be getting a lot of earmarks anyway," Thune said.