Senator Hutchison hiding earmark requests
April 7th, 2008 by Brendan SteinhauserAs Jason Embry of the Austin American-Statesman reports, Texas Senator Kay Baily Hutchison is refusing to disclose her earmark requests.
Hutchison has gone to greater lengths than any other Austin-area member of the House or Senate to conceal the earmarks she is seeking. The American-Statesman recently asked those lawmakers for the earmarks they are requesting in the upcoming year. Senators haven’t had to request theirs yet, but Sen. John Cornyn said he will release his requests once they are turned in to the Appropriations Committee. Hutchison, who, according to her spokesman, is planning to run for governor, said she will not release hers.
Senator Hutchison has not signed the FreedomWorks “No Earmarks Pledge” and voted against Senator DeMint’s one year earmark moratorium. Even Senators Clinton and Obama voted for that common sense legislation. Senator Hutchison’s tenure has been disappointing when it comes to earmarks.
April 7th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
I’m really disappointed in my Senator. If there was a more conservative candidate for U.S. Senate in 2006 I would have voted for that person over Senator Hutchison.
Truthfully, I think Senator Hutchison is a liberal with some conservative beliefs:
Some of her liberal beliefs:
1. Big spender,
2. Wants embryonic stem cell research.
Two VERY big issues for social (embryonic stem cell research) and economic (big spender) conservatives.
April 8th, 2008 at 1:44 am
She’s a liberal? Come now…a horrible disgrace of a Senator for sure, but being for continuing scientific reasearch using stem cells to fight disease does not make anyone a liberal…it makes them pro-science, period. I hope she does run for Gov. of TX, then we can be rid of her.
April 24th, 2008 at 8:32 am
If you are looking for more conservative representatives, look no farther than the Democrats. Seems silly, but when I look over the records of the Senate and House of Representatives. Under Democratic rule, spending was held back, under Republicans. it jumps. *ACTIONS* speak louder than words.
Repubicans, ‘talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk’
Democrats, ‘walk the walk’
Heck, I don’t care what they want to call themselves. I want a smaller government!
May 11th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Why is it suddenly so fashionable and so conservative for member of Congress to take the position that every bureaucrat in Washington knows more about their state and their district than they do? That is precisely what it means when a Congressman takes a “no earmark” pledge. They are saying that budget decisions that affect their constituents should be made by bureaucrats because that is the practical effect of such a position. In doing so they are abdicating their Constitutional responsiblity as the branch of government that has the power of the purse. Senator Hutchison knows she knows more about Texas needs than some GS-12 budget analyst or some unelected Deputy Assistant Secretary in charge of Presidential pork. Texas taxpayers receive back less for their taxdollars in terms of highway funding than taxpayers in any other state. Earmarks are one way to level that playing field. Texas voters should demand their representatives not take any more anti-constituent, pro-bureaucrat pledges.