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Rep. John Doolittle voted Thursday with the House Republican majority to approve a measure to reform earmarks, those 11th-hour insertions into appropriation bills that have landed some politicians in legal trouble this past year.
The earmarking rules-change, H. Res. 1000, passed by a 245-171 margin that cut largely across party lines. New rules could require some earmarks to be more clearly attributed to their congressional sponsors before they are accepted.
The vote came less than eight weeks before the Nov. 7 election. Democrats charged the rules change would be ineffective, citing what they called a number of loopholes. Doolittle (R-Roseville) is seeking his ninth term as the District 4 representative in Congress.
"The congressman believes it is important to bring more accountability and transparency to the earmarking process," Laura Blackann, Doolittle's Washington, D.C., spokesperson, said of his vote.
Todd Stenhouse, spokesman for Democratic challenger Charlie Brown, said House GOP leaders who have been responsible for "pork city" in terms of earmark spending could hardly be expected to curb the practice.
"This is like putting the fox in charge of the henhouse," he said.
Abuse of earmarks has led to at least one former top House Republican, Randy Cunningham (R-San Diego), being sentenced to prison this year.
In what has become a widely publicized earmark, Doolittle was partly responsible for earmarking approximately $37 million in defense spending on a technology called PerfectWave, produced by ADCS, Inc., a company owned by Brent Wilkes.
At least $25,000 came from Wilkes or the ADCS, Inc., Political Action Committee to Doolittle or his Superior California Leadership PAC between August 2002 and March 2005, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
Doolittle first approved funds for PerfectWave in fall 2002, Blackann said, as one of three California Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee.
Evidence provided for the military's support of PerfectWave, which filters sound in an effort to enhance communication amid loud noises such as explosions, was found in a letter sent in February 2005 from a Marine Corp program manager.
"Nobody at the Pentagon was asking for this," Stenhouse said of PerfectWave. Instead of acquiring "proper body armor" for troops in Iraq, "Doolittle was doing favors for guys who were bribing Congress," he added.
Cunningham was sentenced in March to eight years in prison for using his House Appropriations seat to earmark funds for Wilkes and others who were bribing him. Another top House Republican, Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio), pled guilty Friday to conspiracy and other charges related to his conduct with criminal lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
One of the congressmen to whom Abramoff donated money directly to and through associates was Doolittle. The Roseville Republican acted on behalf of Abramoff clients, writing letters supporting Indian tribes in Mississippi and Massachusetts, for example.
Doolittle said in an interview prior to the June 6 primary that his "conscience is clear" regarding the coincidence of campaign contributions and political actions related to Wilkes and Abramoff.
The congressman has hired Virginia attorney David Barger, a specialist in white collar crime and government investigations.
ooo
To reach staff writer Josh Singer e-mail joshs@theunion.com or call 477-4234.
The earmarking rules-change, H. Res. 1000, passed by a 245-171 margin that cut largely across party lines. New rules could require some earmarks to be more clearly attributed to their congressional sponsors before they are accepted.
The vote came less than eight weeks before the Nov. 7 election. Democrats charged the rules change would be ineffective, citing what they called a number of loopholes. Doolittle (R-Roseville) is seeking his ninth term as the District 4 representative in Congress.
"The congressman believes it is important to bring more accountability and transparency to the earmarking process," Laura Blackann, Doolittle's Washington, D.C., spokesperson, said of his vote.
Todd Stenhouse, spokesman for Democratic challenger Charlie Brown, said House GOP leaders who have been responsible for "pork city" in terms of earmark spending could hardly be expected to curb the practice.
"This is like putting the fox in charge of the henhouse," he said.
Abuse of earmarks has led to at least one former top House Republican, Randy Cunningham (R-San Diego), being sentenced to prison this year.
In what has become a widely publicized earmark, Doolittle was partly responsible for earmarking approximately $37 million in defense spending on a technology called PerfectWave, produced by ADCS, Inc., a company owned by Brent Wilkes.
At least $25,000 came from Wilkes or the ADCS, Inc., Political Action Committee to Doolittle or his Superior California Leadership PAC between August 2002 and March 2005, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
Doolittle first approved funds for PerfectWave in fall 2002, Blackann said, as one of three California Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee.
Evidence provided for the military's support of PerfectWave, which filters sound in an effort to enhance communication amid loud noises such as explosions, was found in a letter sent in February 2005 from a Marine Corp program manager.
"Nobody at the Pentagon was asking for this," Stenhouse said of PerfectWave. Instead of acquiring "proper body armor" for troops in Iraq, "Doolittle was doing favors for guys who were bribing Congress," he added.
Cunningham was sentenced in March to eight years in prison for using his House Appropriations seat to earmark funds for Wilkes and others who were bribing him. Another top House Republican, Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio), pled guilty Friday to conspiracy and other charges related to his conduct with criminal lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
One of the congressmen to whom Abramoff donated money directly to and through associates was Doolittle. The Roseville Republican acted on behalf of Abramoff clients, writing letters supporting Indian tribes in Mississippi and Massachusetts, for example.
Doolittle said in an interview prior to the June 6 primary that his "conscience is clear" regarding the coincidence of campaign contributions and political actions related to Wilkes and Abramoff.
The congressman has hired Virginia attorney David Barger, a specialist in white collar crime and government investigations.
ooo
To reach staff writer Josh Singer e-mail joshs@theunion.com or call 477-4234.
