Is an ‘ethical’ Congress illusory?

Re “Will the pork stop here?” Nov. 13

Nancy Pelosi said on election night, “Democrats intend to lead the most honest, the most open and the most ethical Congress in history.” That was a promise that should be believed by only the extremely gullible.

The most corrupt practices are those of the House Ways and Means, Appropriations and conference committees. Their members vote secretly on special tax breaks and pork. House rules allow representatives to secretly sponsor giveaways to corporate interests and never be identified. If there were ever to be an “ethical” Congress, the House would have to adopt new rules for committees that would forbid closed sessions except for the intelligence oversight committees, show who was responsible for each “earmark” and require roll-call votes on all bills and amendments.

Unfortunately, Democrats like the secret deals as much as Republicans do. An “ethical Congress” is an oxymoron.

ROBERT LEE

Berkeley

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It was very educational to learn from your article how the practice of earmarks by Congress is eroding our democracy. It was equally distressing to learn that Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid has engaged in this legal activity. The day before the recent elections, I was pleading with a colleague who never votes to go out and vote the old bums out. “Why, to get new ones in?” he replied. Now I appreciate what he said.

Proponents claim that earmarks constitute a miserly 2% of the federal budget. But what they forget to mention is the other huge spending bills that earmarks facilitate. Let’s see how eager Democrats are to keep their promise to abolish earmarks. Only then can we start believing that we have a two-party system, not just one party of bums.

SAMIR HAFZA

Salt Lake City