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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 813 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 813

     Amending the rules of the House of Representatives to exclude 
provisions relating to existing or proposed water resources development 
projects of the Corps of Engineers from the definition of congressional 
                    earmark, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              July 7, 2016

  Mr. Rooney of Florida submitted the following resolution; which was 
                   referred to the Committee on Rules

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
     Amending the rules of the House of Representatives to exclude 
provisions relating to existing or proposed water resources development 
projects of the Corps of Engineers from the definition of congressional 
                    earmark, and for other purposes.

Whereas the rules of the House of Representatives define an earmark as a Member 
        request for funding targeted to a specific State, locality, or 
        congressional district, other than through a statutory or administrative 
        formula driven or competitive award process;
Whereas Federal funds appropriated to the Corps of Engineers (Corps) for water 
        resources development projects are not distributed based on statutory 
        formulas or competitive grants;
Whereas the Founders of the Nation regarded the power of the purse as the 
        fundamental authority of Congress to limit executive branch power and as 
        the ``most complete and effectual weapon with which any constitution can 
        arm the immediate representatives of the people'';
Whereas the ``earmark moratorium'' has ceded congressional authority over 
        inherently local Corps projects to the executive branch, which has 
        resulted in a backlog of authorized Corps studies and projects that have 
        not received appropriations to date; and
Whereas this resolution does not preclude the requirement that a Corps project 
        receive an authorization prior to the allocation of appropriations for 
        the project: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,

SECTION 1. SENSE OF HOUSE ON LIFTING EARMARK MORATORIUM FOR WRDA 
              PROJECTS.

    The House of Representatives urges the adoption of an amendment to 
the rules of the House Republican Conference to lift the ``earmark 
moratorium'' on requests for Federal appropriations for water resources 
development projects of the Corps of Engineers in order to restore the 
authority of Congress to direct funds to State and local projects and 
to limit executive power.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENT OF HOUSE RULES.

    Clause 9(e) of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives is amended--
            (1) by striking ``(e) For the purpose'' and inserting 
        ``(e)(1) For the purpose''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(2) For the purpose of this clause, the term `congressional 
earmark' does not include a provision or report language described in 
subparagraph (1) if the provision or report language relates to an 
existing or proposed water resources development project of the Corps 
of Engineers.''.
                                 <all>
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