Report: Costello asked for $1.4 billion in earmarks after switching health-care vote
Anti-abortion lawmakers seek billions, report says
- News-Democrat
A government think tank Friday cited Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Belleville, and other anti-abortion House members for having dramatically increased their earmark requests after passing the health care reform bill earlier this week.
The Sunlight Foundation in Washington, D.C., reported that Costello and five other anti-abortion representatives who were part of the so-called "Stupak 11" requested more than $4.7 billion in earmarks for the fiscal year 2011 federal budget. The nonpartisan and nonprofit organization also reported that these 11 anti-abortion legislators -- who include and are named for fellow Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan -- were targeted by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats because the 11 House members threatened to vote against the health care bill if it included coverage for abortions.
The bill passed late Sunday evening by a seven-vote margin, and President Obama signed the bill into law Tuesday.
The Sunlight Foundation in Washington, D.C., reported that Costello and five other anti-abortion representatives who were part of the so-called "Stupak 11" requested more than $4.7 billion in earmarks for the fiscal year 2011 federal budget. The nonpartisan and nonprofit organization also reported that these 11 anti-abortion legislators -- who include and are named for fellow Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan -- were targeted by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats because the 11 House members threatened to vote against the health care bill if it included coverage for abortions.
The bill passed late Sunday evening by a seven-vote margin, and President Obama signed the bill into law Tuesday.
According to the foundation's report, earmarks from the anti-abortion Democrats were led by Costello's request for $1.4 billion in earmarks -- a jump from the $256 million Costello requested for fiscal year 2010.
But a spokesman for Costello said late Friday that the foundation's numbers are inaccurate and have nothing to do with the health care vote.
Spokesman David Gillies said the $1.4 billion is wrong and that the actual number is much less, although he did not have a specific figure.
"There is absolutely no connection between our earmark requests and the health care reform bill," Gillies said. He said any implication that higher earmarks were a payoff for voting for health care reform is false.
In fact, Gillies said one of Costello's earmarks included a $1.35 billion request along with 44 other congressmen to fund a federal program called Impact Aid to assist local educational agencies.
"That is not like an earmark for our area," he said. "It is a government program we supported. That is really not what we put in. That is among our requests, but that is really not an earmark request."
A Web site for the House Appropriations Committee provides a partial list of Costello earmarks for 2011 totaling about $70 million. Most of the money is for Southern Illinois University, Scott Air Force Base and the Melvin Price Lock and Dam.
"The fact that the appropriations date coincided with the (health care) vote is really neither here nor there," Gillies said. "We really didn't increase or do anything different because of the health care vote."
An earmarks is an appropriation request from an individual lawmaker, usually for money that will be returned to that person's home district.
Not all of the Stupak 11 increased their earmarks between the 2010 and 2011 fiscal years. According to the Sunlight Foundation's report, Reps. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio; James Oberstar, D-Minn.; and Solomon Ortiz, D-Texas, each requested less.
Efforts to reach a spokesman from the Sunlight Foundation for comment were unsuccessful.
Although granting earmark requests has been a way party leaders influence how lawmakers vote, SIUE political science assistant professor Ken Moffett said he does not believe this was the case for the Stupak 11.
"I'm not convinced," Moffett said. "That is not as simple as they make it out to be for a few different reasons. One lies in why members require earmarks anyway. Members tend to request higher amounts of earmarks over time. And a second thing is that we have to remember that this year is an election year. If members are going to request a higher amount, they are probably going to do it during an election year."
In all, only 34 House Democrats joined all 178 House Republicans in voting against the health care reform bill. A spokesman for fellow metro-east Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, declined to comment about the report over Costello's earmarks.
"We're not going to get into that debate," said Steve Tomaszewski. "I don't want to go back and try to verify all of their stuff or get in the middle of that."
But a spokesman for Costello said late Friday that the foundation's numbers are inaccurate and have nothing to do with the health care vote.
Spokesman David Gillies said the $1.4 billion is wrong and that the actual number is much less, although he did not have a specific figure.
"There is absolutely no connection between our earmark requests and the health care reform bill," Gillies said. He said any implication that higher earmarks were a payoff for voting for health care reform is false.
In fact, Gillies said one of Costello's earmarks included a $1.35 billion request along with 44 other congressmen to fund a federal program called Impact Aid to assist local educational agencies.
"That is not like an earmark for our area," he said. "It is a government program we supported. That is really not what we put in. That is among our requests, but that is really not an earmark request."
A Web site for the House Appropriations Committee provides a partial list of Costello earmarks for 2011 totaling about $70 million. Most of the money is for Southern Illinois University, Scott Air Force Base and the Melvin Price Lock and Dam.
"The fact that the appropriations date coincided with the (health care) vote is really neither here nor there," Gillies said. "We really didn't increase or do anything different because of the health care vote."
An earmarks is an appropriation request from an individual lawmaker, usually for money that will be returned to that person's home district.
Not all of the Stupak 11 increased their earmarks between the 2010 and 2011 fiscal years. According to the Sunlight Foundation's report, Reps. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio; James Oberstar, D-Minn.; and Solomon Ortiz, D-Texas, each requested less.
Efforts to reach a spokesman from the Sunlight Foundation for comment were unsuccessful.
Although granting earmark requests has been a way party leaders influence how lawmakers vote, SIUE political science assistant professor Ken Moffett said he does not believe this was the case for the Stupak 11.
"I'm not convinced," Moffett said. "That is not as simple as they make it out to be for a few different reasons. One lies in why members require earmarks anyway. Members tend to request higher amounts of earmarks over time. And a second thing is that we have to remember that this year is an election year. If members are going to request a higher amount, they are probably going to do it during an election year."
In all, only 34 House Democrats joined all 178 House Republicans in voting against the health care reform bill. A spokesman for fellow metro-east Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, declined to comment about the report over Costello's earmarks.
"We're not going to get into that debate," said Steve Tomaszewski. "I don't want to go back and try to verify all of their stuff or get in the middle of that."
Contact reporter Will Buss at wbuss@bnd.com or 239-2526.
Read more: http://www.bnd.com/2010/03/27/1191513/costello-asked-for-earmarks-after.html?qwxq=2219225&pageNum=2&mi_pluck_action=page_nav#Comments_Container#ixzz0jOAI4rJa
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