By Rep. Roy Blunt

That the authors of our nation’s governing document gave the House of Representatives exclusive authority to bring forth legislation related to revenue was no accident. The House, after all, was designed to be the more responsive, more accountable of the two chambers — especially when it came to the business of raising and spending the hard-earned money of the American taxpayer.

But it’s precisely this element of accountability that’s come under withering attack from Democratic corners this year. It started with the passage of the majority’s watered-down lobbying reform bill, and was most recently on display in their handling of what was supposed to be an “emergency” Iraq spending bill for our troops. More than 100 days after the process had begun, Democrats were congratulating themselves for naming 11 post offices but still hadn’t found a way to send our men and women in uniform the resources they needed to be secure.

The trend continues unabated this week. Citing the volume of workload associated with complying with the spirit of the rules as they are laid out, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee simplified the process dramatically by declaring himself a one-man selection committee in charge of determining how much of your money will be spent through earmarks this year, and to whom it will be sent. Read more…

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