Limiting earmarks

House Democratic leaders will ban the use of controversial earmarks going to corporations in a move to avoid the perception of influence peddling.

Thousands of special appropriations are inserted annually into legislation sending money to a particular organization or cause at the request of a senator or representative, often with little public or even congressional awareness.

The fact that campaign donors, particularly corporations, are recipients of the funds gives the appearance of a payback for supporting a candidate.

House leaders said the special appropriations will no longer be allowed to direct funding to pet projects for corporations. The measure could mean 1,000 fewer earmarks, which is evidence of their extensive use.

The Democratic plan follows probe by the ethics committee into the actions of seven members of a panel overseeing Pentagon spending that directed earmarks to companies whose officers or lobbyists donated to their campaigns. The panel exonerated the lawmakers after finding no direct link between the two.

"Simply because a member sponsors an earmark for an entity that also happens to be a campaign contributor does not, on these two facts alone, support a claim that a member's actions are being influenced by campaign contributions," the ethics panel found.

Despite that, House leaders were apparently concerned about public perception, especially in an election year.