Page 2 - aruba-today-20220405

A2 UP FRONT
Tuesday 5 april 2022
Billions, and growing, for lawmakers' projects in big bill

From Front programs that lawmakers
know benefit their states
By ALAN FRAM and isn't included, so lawmakers
AARON M. KESSLER can tout such amounts as
Associated Press achievements without hav-
WASHINGTON (AP) — ing them formally listed as
Home-district projects for earmarks.
members of Congress are Senate Majority Leader
back, sprinkled across the Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.,
government-wide $1.5 tril- had 203 projects for New
lion bill President Joe Biden York, which the Taxpayers
signed recently. The official group found was far more
tally shows amounts mod- than anyone else in Con-
est by past standards yet gress. They totaled $314
spread widely around the million and ranged from
country — and that under- $27 million to upgrade Fort
state what lawmakers are Drum's water systems to
claiming credit for. $44,000 for neighborhood
The bipartisan legislation, improvements in the city of
financing federal agencies Geneva.
this year, contains 4,975 But in press releases,
such projects worth $9.7 bil- Schumer and other New
lion, according to an Asso- Yorkers took credit for oth-
ciated Press examination of er funding not on the lists.
items attributed to specific For example, he and Sen.
lawmakers in legislative Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.,
documents. The listed proj- The Autherine Lucy Clock Tower at the Malone Hood Plaza stands in front of Foster Auditorium on pointed to $293 million they
the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa, Ala., June 16, 2019.
ects, long called earmarks, Associated Press said they'd secured for the
ranged from $4,000 for Air Force Research Labora-
evidence detection equip- peddling and waste. But Alabama, his alma mater, winning "billions" for Ala- tory in Rome, N.Y., following
ment for Huntington, West they've been openly em- and hundreds of millions to bama, well beyond the "their fierce advocacy."
Virginia, to $350 million to braced by lawmakers from improve the city of Mobile's amount in the public lists. The House limited lawmak-
help restore Florida's vast both parties, who cite Con- seaport and airport. Just one example he cited ers to a maximum of 10
but imperiled Everglades. gress' constitutional power The price tag of Shelby's is $1.3 billion for flight train- projects apiece.
The projects' reemergence of the purse and say they projects was the highest ing at Fort Rucker, an Army Senate Minority Leader
after an 11-year hiatus, with know their local needs. in Congress, according to base in the state. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.,
transparency requirements "I'm very proud of them," Taxpayers for Common Many lawmakers are as- was among over 140 law-
and other curbs, marks a said Sen. Richard Shelby, Sense, a nonpartisan group serting that the money they makers not listed as receiv-
revival of expenditures that top Republican on the Sen- that favors fiscal restraint won for constituents ex- ing projects. Yet a press
let lawmakers tout achieve- ate Appropriations Com- and produced largely simi- ceeded what the measure release cited more than
ments to voters and help mittee, of the eye-popping lar figures in its own pre- explicitly attributes to them. three dozen items in the bill
party leaders build support $648 million he amassed liminary study. Sen. Lindsey That's because Congress that would benefit his state,
for legislation. for his state, the AP analy- Graham, R-S.C., was next narrowly defines what's including $321 million for an
They're vilified by some, sis showed. That included at $361 million. listed as home-district proj- environmental cleanup at
especially conservatives, $126 million for two cam- Shelby, who's retiring, took ects. an old uranium enrichment
as emblems of influence puses of the University of credit in press releases for Bolstering broad, national plant in Paducah.q

High court opens door wider to

malicious prosecution claims

tion lawsuits that had pre- try had adopted that said resulting from a scuffle with
viously been thrown out at the person had to show police were dropped.
an early stage will instead their case ended because Thompson's lawyer Amir Ali
be allowed to move for- they were innocent. of the MacArthur Justice
ward. Justice Samuel Alito wrote Center said in an interview
The ruling was joined by in a dissent that his col- he was "very pleased with
both liberal and conserva- leagues' decision "has no the court's decision" and
tive justices. basis in the Constitution that it was "welcome and
Justice Brett Kavanaugh and is almost certain to needed." Ali said that prior
wrote for the majority of the lead to confusion." He was to the court's decision there
court that a person seeking joined by two other conser- was a "completely unjust
The U.S. Supreme Court is seen, Friday, March 18, 2022 in
Washington. to sue for malicious prose- vative justices, Justice Clar- and really senseless barrier
Associated Press cution under a federal civil ence Thomas and Justice to bringing these lawsuits"
rights law has to prove that Neil Gorsuch. and that the court had "re-
By JESSICA GRESKO removed a barrier Monday the case brought against The case before the jus- moved that unjust barrier."
Associated Press to lawsuits against law en- him "ended without a con- tices involved the 2014 ar- Ali said his client will now
WASHINGTON (AP) — In forcement for malicious viction." rest of Brooklyn resident "have his day in court"
a victory for people false- prosecution. The justices rejected a high- Larry Thompson who sued and get the opportunity
ly accused by police of The 6-3 ruling means that er bar that federal appeals for malicious prosecution to prove his malicious pros-
crimes, the Supreme Court some malicious prosecu- courts in much of the coun- after charges against him ecution claim. q