According to The Hill, while the Republican leadership has been talking a good game on reducing pet project spending, only leaders John Boehner (R-OH), Adam Putnam (R-FL) and Eric Cantor (R-VA) have voted for more than half of the anti-earmark amendments offered on the House floor since the 2006 election. Meanwhile House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) voted for just 22 percent of the amendments while Policy Committee Chairman Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI) voted to eliminate only one earmark.
Reading the story called to mind our little green friends admonishment to Luke in Empire Strikes Back:
YODA: You must unlearn what you have learned.
LUKE: All right, I’ll give it a try.
YODA: No! Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.
Congressional Republicans are past the time when ‘trying’ is enough to show they actually care about reigning in spending. It is time to “Do. Or do not.”
Comments are subject to approval and moderation. We remind everyone that The Heritage Foundation promotes a civil society where ideas and debate flourish. Please be respectful of each other and the subjects of any criticism. While we may not always agree on policy, we should all agree that being appropriately informed is everyone's intention visiting this site. Profanity, lewdness, personal attacks, and other forms of incivility will not be tolerated. Please keep your thoughts brief and avoid ALL CAPS. While we respect your first amendment rights, we are obligated to our readers to maintain these standards. Thanks for joining the conversation.