Congressional earmarks funded Cornerstone

U.S. Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski used his seniority and ties to powerful Democrats to secure $10 million in contracts for his nephews’ firms.

Earmarking — the insertion of spending for specific pet projects into appropriations bills outside of the normal legislative process — has long been a controversial practice in Washington.

Over the last decade, the annual cost of earmarks has more than tripled, reaching $64 billion in 2006, according to the Congressional Research Service.

The new Democratic majorities in the House and Senate pledged to reform the process. But some observers of Congress say the few reforms that have been passed will do little to curb earmarks. Lawmakers in both houses have already submitted their earmark requests to party leaders as they prepare to work on the 2008 budget.

“The announcements have gone out by the committee chairs and ranking members: ‘Get your earmark requests out,’ ” said Ronald Utt, a senior research fellow with the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think-tank. “I don’t think anything has changed. Congress doesn’t seem to think there’s much wrong with this.”

In October, Mr. Kanjorski told The New York Times that his fellow Pennsylvania Democrat, John Murtha, a powerful member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, helped him get funding for eight to 10 projects, including contracts that went to Cornerstone Technologies LLC.

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