Yellowhammer Times

U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL) recently voiced his opinion on the restoration of earmarks and reforming anti-trust laws for Big Tech.

Democrats are currently working to restore earmarks which allows lawmakers to secure federal funding for specific projects. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Richard Shelby (R-AL), leading members on the Senate Appropriations Committee, are expected to present a deal to restore earmarks within the coming weeks, according to Axios.

Earmarks are congressional spending tools that give lawmakers the power to direct spending to pay for specific projects in their districts. Critics and House conservatives argue that earmarks can be easily abused leading to coercion and corruption and the practice of earmarks was previously eliminated in 2011.

"Make no mistake: these will be used as currency for votes as Democrat leadership buys off moderates who do not support their party’s radical policy agenda,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) said according to The Hill. "This chamber has already made it clear that it is no longer the People’s House in any true sense, but consolidating even more power in party leadership would be another institutional embarrassment on a list that’s already too long."

Surprisingly, former President Donald Trump was in favor of earmarks and in 2018 unexpectedly said that Congress should consider restoring earmarks, according to Axios.

"As they stand now, I would say that earmarks are nothing more than the currency of corruption Democrats are trying to revive in order to perpetuate log rolling in politics," Moore said. 

"Supporting legislation shouldn’t be about quid pro quo, it should be about helping our constituents and getting money back to the taxpayers wherever possible, not scratching each other’s backs for political gain. In the Alabama State Legislature, we used the Education Trust Fund to essentially award each representative the same amount of money to fund projects in their districts, and I think a similar system could work here, too."

Moore also voiced his support for the recent efforts of Republicans pushing for anti-trust legislation to limit the power of Big Tech companies which they believe to be a threat to free speech.

"Freedom of speech is one of our most important and fundamental rights, but that hasn’t stopped Big Tech from disproportionately silencing millions of conservative voices on their platforms," Moore said. "These abusive actions cannot go unchecked, and I believe a small government solution is needed to protect free speech, consumer rights, and the free market -  without intrusive, big government oversight and business-killing regulation. What we really need is more conservative competition in this space."

The movement is led by The Center for American Restoration and they have submitted a letter to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy urging them to take action, according to Axios.

"America's foundational values of diverse speech, market access and the free flow of information are imperiled by concentrated corporate power wielded at [an] unprecedented scale — and in many cases, aided and abetted by federal policies," read the letter. "Inaction in this forum is no longer an acceptable response. We look forward to reviewing the various bills and proposals that emerge as Congress refines its approach to this increasing and existential threat to our nation."