Chaffetz may end full earmark ban

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, unseated former Rep. Chris Cannon largely by criticizing his earmarks that ordered federal agencies to fund specific, local projects. He then made splashy news this year by refusing to seek earmarks, while the rest of the Utah delegation sought large numbers of them.

But Chaffetz said on Monday that he may soon end his abstinence of that practice, and seek what he prefers to call legitimate "congressional directed spending" that he contends is different than traditional "earmarks" that he had said often are secretive, silly or wasteful.

"I took a pledge that I was going to ask for no earmarks in 2009. I've lived up to that pledge," he told Deseret News. "People are excited about reform. But they also want to make sure that we can get some federal dollars for worthwhile projects."

So he wrote to mayors, legislators and other local officials in his district Monday to seek comments on an outline of what he says is reform he intends to use to decide what projects legitimately deserve that "congressionally directed spending."

The summary of those guidelines say, "All projects requesting congressionally directed funding must: Go through an open process; be scrutinized through the committee system; have an appropriate federal nexus (or purpose); and benefit the American public through a public entity."

"I've been terribly disappointed in both parties, the Congress as a whole and the White House," Chaffetz said. "They have failed to address this most important issue (earmarks)."

"Rather than wait for them to institute the reform I hoped they would, I'm going to lead out by example. I'm going to raise the bar" with better openness, accountability and justification for any specific-project funding, he said.

If that still means a little less bacon for his home district compared to others, Chaffetz said, "It's not my job to bring home the bacon. Quite the contrary. If somebody wants me to bring home the bacon, they hired the wrong guy. That's not me, and that's not what I'm going to do."

But, he said, "There are appropriate projects" for congressionally directed funding — and his new guidelines will allow seeking funds for them.

Chaffetz said his guidelines will avoid some of the earmarks he has opposed in the past.