Steelman: McCaskill earmark legislation is a political stunt

(From the Sarah Steelman campaign)

Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and Senator Patrick Toomey (R-PA) have introduced legislation set to ban earmarks within the Senate. United States Senate Candidate Sarah Steelman, who is challenging McCaskill, supports banning earmarks but called McCaskill’s legislation a political stunt.

McCaskill claims to have waged a war against the earmarking process, but rationalized her votes by saying, "... I also knew that, if I voted against every appropriations bill that had earmarks, I would never be able to vote for any appropriations bill. " Steelman disputes her claim.

On March 4, 2009 Senator McCaskill voted no on S. Amdt. 610 to H.R. 1105 (Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009), an amendment offered by Senator Coburn to prohibit funding for congressional earmarks for wasteful and parochial pork projects and also voted in favor of earmarks set to provide taxpayer dollars to 14 clients of a lobbying firm under federal investigation for making campaign donations in exchange for political favors for the group's clients (S. Amdt. 623 to H.R. 1150). Both amendments exclusively addressed issues that McCaskill advocates, eliminating earmarks and fraudulent waste.

Steelman, who fully supports Senator McCaskill’s and Senator Toomey’s new legislation, had this to say regarding McCaskill’s response to the criticism.

“Unfortunately, this is nothing new. Senator McCaskill says one thing and does another. While I do support the legislation, McCaskill is trying to pull the wool over our eyes because she could have voted for several amendments that dealt solely with fraudulent waste and earmarks within the appropriations bills but instead she voted against the amendments.”

McCaskill and Steelman are in agreement on more than just this new legislation. On the very same day, March 4, 2009, that Senator McCaskill voted on those amendments, she uploaded a video of herself addressing the Senate titled “Senator McCaskill Rips Hypocrisy on Earmarks.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGL-DfHdn5E

“Claire hit the nail on the head when she addressed the Senate that day and said ‘Don’t take anyone seriously that says one thing and does another; that’s the worst sin of all’.” Steelman said.

When asked whether or not she would be taking McCaskill’s legislation seriously, Steelman responded:

“It’s a good thing Senator Toomey is a co-sponsor.”