Management
Guarding the Purse Strings
Members of Congress are making the earmark process more transparent, but they’re still asserting their authority to direct money to special projects.
Management
Reliance on supplemental funding draws bipartisan attack
Lawmakers say administration’s method of paying for wars and other emergency needs makes it difficult to account for the true costs.
News
Legislator takes stand in support of earmarks
Idaho representative advocates practice as a way to limit the executive branch’s influence over spending decisions.
News
Spending proposals leave moderates in tough position
Fat has already been trimmed from the easy places, leaving few palatable options for cuts.
Management
Growth in earmarks limits agencies’ flexibility
Increase has been driven by the budget-neutral practice of directing agencies where to spend money, without boosting funding.
Defense
Army Corps officials too often acquiesced to Congress' wishes, critics claim
Too many projects slugged as "high priority" that should have been deemed lower priorities than levee protection.
Management
Appropriations process mired in same troubles as previous years
Senate rules allowing lengthy debates and myriad amendments may bog down the process.
Management
Bush's best-laid budget plans go awry
George W. Bush promised balanced federal budgets and a smaller government. How times have changed.
Defense
Following the money on Iraq, homeland security not easy
The Bush administration has a great deal of discretion in spending war funds, and "homeland security" remains ill-defined.
News
Rhetoric often at odds with reality of appropriations process
Congress and the president take credit for creating federal programs and launching ambitious initiatives, but then they often don't put their money where their mouth is.
Management
Bush administration faces performance pressure
Since he took office, President Bush has been telling federal agencies to be performance-oriented. With GOP majorities in the House and Senate, the pressure is now on the White House to meet the high performance standards set by the voters.
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