USA Today is reporting that more than two dozen groups have registered to lobby for their share of the stimulus pie since the economic recovery bill first came before Congress last month.
That rush to secure spending for favored projects isn’t necessarily surprising, but there’s a new wrinkle for lobbyists this time around: the Obama administration’s insistence on keeping earmarks out of the stimulus. As noble as that sounds, USA Today explains, it may have the unintended effect of driving lobbyists underground to chase stimulus money that will be distributed through federal grants:
President Obama and congressional leaders have vowed to keep the package free of the special projects lawmakers add to bills. Instead, much of the stimulus cash is expected to flow though federal departments and states. Bill Ferguson, CEO of the Ferguson Group, said part of his firm’s role is to use its expertise and ties to federal agencies to help clients navigate the grant-making process.
“A big wad of money is going to get shoved through grant programs,” he said. Cities and counties “are going to need people who understand those programs.”
As we look at K Street’s involvement in the stimulus, though, it’s important to note that what looks like wasteful spending to one member of Congress is often the genuinely sought goal for another member’s home state or district.
In general, I’ve found that nefarious earmarks are best defined by the Supreme Court’s famed standard for pornography: You know it when you see it.
