02-04-08
WHAT'S NEW IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Porky Pig is under a microscope. Increasingly, attention is turning to congressional "earmarks," those pork-barrel pet spending projects that, according to critics, exist mainly to endear members of Congress to their constituents. According to the Associated Press, there has been intense reaction to President Bush's State of the Union speech in which he vowed to veto any spending bills that do not "cut the number and cost of earmarks in half." While Democrats insist progress has been made in cutting pork, budget watchdog groups, and many conservative Republicans, say the president's actions don't match his words. Meanwhile, the New York Times reports that since more than 90 percent of earmarks are included in committee reports - not legislation - budget hawks want President Bush to issue an executive order mandating that such earmarks be killed there, a goal that may be jeopardized by Bush's wish to keep working with lawmakers on economic stimulus measures. Closer to home, Roll Call notes that lobbying firms specializing in appropriations issues are worried about their future. CQ Moneyline reports a drop in budget or appropriations lobbying contracts to 1,157 in 2007, from 1,170 in 2006 and a record high of 1,259 in 2005. As Porky might say, "Th ... th ... th ... that's not all folks," in this addition of the Public Affairs News Monitor.
HEADLINES AT A GLANCE
"Bush to Press Congress to Limit Earmarks" [1]
"Earmarks Seen Likely to Continue, But With Details" [2]
"Appropriations Lobbyists Worried" [3]
"Do It Right" [4]
"A Gathering Force" [5]
"Election Regulators' Recommendation Could Lead to Court Challenge of Campaign Finance Law" [6]
"GOP Governors Take Party Reins" [7]
"SEIU Flexes Muscle" [8]
UPCOMING CONFERENCES
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February 24-27, 2008 - St. Petersburg, FL
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March 5, 2008 - Washington, DC
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Association PAC Roundtable [11]
April 10, 2008 - Washington, DC
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Public Affairs News Monitor may be reproduced in hard copy form or electronically for internal circulation to Public Affairs Council member companies and associations.
"Bush to Press Congress to Limit Earmarks"
Associated Press (01/29/08); Taylor, Andrew
In his final State of the Union speech, President Bush vowed to veto any future spending bills that Congress sends him that do not "cut the number and cost of earmarks in half." Bush said, "The people's trust in their government is undermined by congressional earmarks, special-interest projects that are often snuck in at the last minute, without discussion or debate." The president's pronouncement, which came at the top of his speech, drew mixed reviews from Democrats, who said that Congress has made progress toward trimming the number of earmarks and improving their disclosure. Budget watchdogs and fiscal conservatives lambasted it, saying the president failed to be tough enough on pork spending. Bush disappointed some conservatives by backing away from a veiled threat issued last month in which he seemed to suggest he would kill some or all of the thousands of earmarks contained in last year's huge omnibus appropriations bill. President Bush issued an executive order Jan. 29 requiring agencies to ignore any earmarks in authorization bills or committee reports unless they are debated in the open by Congress and included in a law. The order will not apply to the thousands of earmarks that accompanied a massive spending bill he signed last month. The Office of Management and Budget found that Congress included more than 11,000 earmarks worth more than $16.8 billion in the fiscal 2008 omnibus spending bill. The executive order will tell agencies not to obligate or expend funds from a nonstatutory source, including requests in committee reports, other congressional documents, or communications from - or on behalf of - lawmakers, according to a White House briefing paper on the upcoming mandate. Administration officials point to the fact that the Supreme Court ruled in 1993 and again in 2005 that report language is not legally binding.(www.ap.org)
"Earmarks Seen Likely to Continue, But With Details"
New York Times (01/22/08) P. A13; Pear, Robert
More than 90 percent of earmarks are included in committee reports--not legislation--and some lawmakers want President Bush to issue an executive order mandating that such earmarks be thrown out by agencies. However, Bush administration officials do not expect that to occur due to concerns that the president would jeopardize his chances of cooperation with lawmakers on such issues as bolstering the economy. Still, the White House would retain the ability to order a decline in earmarks, and Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist believes rules and procedures to eliminate what he calls "the most egregious earmarks" likely are on the horizon. The White House Office of Management and Budget reports a decline in the number of earmarks signed by President Bush to some 11,700 in fiscal 2008 spending bills from more than 13,000 in 2005. Over the same time span, the dollar value of these earmarks fell 11 percent to $16.9 billion. The Defense Department appropriations bill accounted for close to 20 percent of earmarks and more than 33 percent of the monetary total.(www.nytimes.com)
"Appropriations Lobbyists Worried"
Roll Call (01/29/08); Newmyer, Tory
Appropriations lobbyists increasingly are concerned about the future of earmarks, given that President Bush announced plans to veto spending bills that do not show a 50 percent reduction in the number and cost of earmarks. Additionally, House Republicans are pushing for new standards that would force lawmakers to justify funding needs for their project requests. Some lobbyists believe earmark reform is all talk, but others are becoming worried now that Republican Reps. John Kline (Minn.), Lynn Westmoreland (Ga.), Tom Price (Ga.), and Darrell Issa (Calif.) have instituted earmark limits, imposed earlier earmark deadlines, or said they will leave project funding to federal agencies. More lawmakers are expected to follow suit. "People are wondering what kind of future is out there for firms that are focused entirely on appropriations," says former Rep. Henry Bonilla (R-Texas) of The Normandy Group. CQ MoneyLine reports a drop in budget or appropriations lobbying contracts to 1,157 in 2007 from 1,170 in 2006 and a record high of 1,259 in 2005. (www.rollcall.com)
"Do It Right"
Economist (01/19/08)
It is considered risky for companies not to embrace corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies, and despite the fact that some experts believe CSR simply involves good business practices, many companies are appointing chief sustainability officers and distinguishing these units from the rest of the organization. These experts point out that CSR involves securing a competitive edge and maintaining a favorable reputation, translating into what they call "enlightened self-interest," given that the ultimate result of CSR is increased profitability. Rather than serve as a public relations tool, CSR programs are used by some firms to help make strategic decisions, among other things. In the future, these experts predict CSR will switch to an entrepreneurial model, involving so-called "social entrepreneurs" who gained riches as the result of globalization and now want to sink their own money into environmental and other "potentially disruptive technologies" and monitor the impact of their social investments. In the meantime, large corporations continue to dominate CSR, many featuring an elaborate team comprising the CEO, the corporate sustainability officer, and a cross-function board committee responsible for ensuring that CSR is a company-wide strategy.(www.economist.com)
"A Gathering Force"
Associations Now (12/07) Vol. 31, No. 12, P. 16; McLaughlin, Laurie
Associations increasingly are forging partnerships with other organizations to push for legislation, promote common goals, and even share office space and other resources. "Associations are often low on both financial resources and human capital. Teaming up enables organizations to best utilize each others' assets for the larger goal," says Ohio Hospital Association Media and Public Relations Manager Tiffany Himmelreich. When it comes to legislation, experts say lawmakers pay close attention if multiple groups representing different constituents are pushing for the same issue. However, such partnerships come with challenges, as organizations may agree on certain issues but have different perspectives, while in other instances their goals are not aligned or egos may get in the way. Issues such as content ownership and long-term commitment must be considered, and some organizations use guidelines to assess partnerships before they are finalized. One such partnership is being orchestrated by the Marble Institute of America in response to the need for unity in the natural stone industry and the industry's focus on the eco-friendly properties of stone. The resulting National Stone Council launched its own Web site, and a page with links to council members has boosted membership requests for the Marble Institute of America. Early success prompted the council to formalize administrative tasks, with one association handling meeting plans and other back-office functions, and another tackling public relations and marketing(www.asaenet.org)
"Election Regulators' Recommendation Could Lead to Court Challenge of Campaign Finance Law"
Associated Press (01/23/08); Kuhnhenn, Jim
The free-speech advocacy group SpeechNow.org is likely to challenge a key part of campaign finance law in court after lawyers from the Federal Election Commission said the fiscally conservative club's PAC should not be exempted from a requirement that sponsors of political television ads as short as 10 seconds verbally identify themselves. SpeechNow was created to support candidates who advocate free speech. It does not accept contributions from corporations or unions, and no one works directly with candidates. Because of that, David Keating, president of SpeechNow and also executive director of The Club for Growth, said individuals should not be subject to $5,000 limits on donations to SpeechNow. He insisted that individuals can spend as much of their own money as they want on candidates or causes and that it is a free speech issue to block two or more people from gathering online to do the same. "We'll probably have to ask the courts to let us do it," he said. The FEC has only two active members because the Senate has not acted on four pending nominations. Democrats have refused to confirm Hans von Spakovsky, a former Justice Department official, and Republicans want all four nominees voted on as a package. Because of this, the FEC has too few commissioners for a quorum to take official action. In the interim, the advisory opinions give the requesters guidance on how to proceed. A successful court challenge by SpeechNow.org would permit groups to raise money without limits and to advocate for the election or defeat of a candidate.(www.ap.org)
"GOP Governors Take Party Reins"
Politico (01/30/08); O'Connor, Patrick
Republican governors are positioning themselves as the incubators of a new generation of Republican ideas. The Republican Governors Association (RGA) raised $21.5 million in 2007 compared to the $12.8 million raised by the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) the same year. The RGA has about $9 million in money set aside, while the DGA holds about $7.2 million. Republican governors hope their success in raising cash can help steer a largely directionless party into 2010, when a critical census could permanently reshape Congress. The GOP is hoping its governors can rebuild the party, and much of its recent fundraising success is tied to the efforts of Georgia Gov. Sonny Purdue, who was chairman of the RGA last year. Purdue and a group of fellow GOP governors produced a four-year plan to reclaim congressional seats when the seats are reapportioned to reflect population shifts from the North to the South and Southwest--shifts that will likely change politics significantly. Republican governors are improving their visibility through infrastructure projects and other local concerns, but the GOP has grown more concerned that it could still lose governorships in the future. In 2000, the GOP held 30 governorships. That number already dropped to 22, and under a worst-case scenario Republicans could hold just 13 governorships in 2010. The best-case scenario has them holding 38.(www.politico.com)
"SEIU Flexes Muscle"
Roll Call (01/29/08); Drucker, David M.
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) plans to spend more than $75 million on the presidential and Congressional races during the 2008 election cycle, compared with the $65 million the 1.9 million-member union spent in 2004. SEIU leaders are especially focused on supporting pro-worker candidates in both chambers, hoping to lessen the ability of Republicans to block legislation that the union favors. The Republican National Committee has outraised the Democratic National Committee and hopes to put up a fight. However, the latest funding trends show the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) closing some of gap with the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) from the 2004 cycle. The GOP could have gains in the fourth-quarter the Federal Election Commission reports. However, through Nov. 30, 2007, the DCCC had $28 million more in cash than the NRCC, and the DSCC had $15 million more than the NRSC. "If there is one constant in Congressional campaigns, it is labor unions dumping millions into races on the behalf of Democrats," says NRSC spokeswoman Rebecca Fisher. "Our candidates will be well-prepared for this inevitability."(www.rollcall.com)