Pledging allegiance to their moneyed backers? Oh, yes. At the cost of chemically burning U.S. troops. See SEATTLE TIMES article (portion) below. Link to whole article here: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2008478150&zsection_id=2003905675&slug=favor07&date=20081207Scientists have discovered a lotion that can save the lives of U.S. soldiers exposed to chemical weapons — a product vastly superior to the standard-issue decontamination powder.
Naturally, the Defense Department wants to scrap the powder and switch to the more-effective lotion.
But there's a problem: After being lobbied by the companies making the powder, several members of Congress pushed through two earmarks worth $7.6 million that forced the military for the past two years to keep buying the inferior product.
The product, known as M291, is made from a resin sold exclusively by a Pennsylvania chemical company, which is then processed into powder by a New York company, then assembled into individual kits at a facility in Arkansas.
Among the lawmakers who championed the earmarks are Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y.; Arlen Specter, R-Pa.; and Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.
Clinton, who is poised to become secretary of state, received nearly $7,000 in campaign donations from the beneficiaries of these earmarks in recent years. Specter got more than $47,000.
Lawmakers put earmarks into bills to make federal agencies buy things the agencies didn't request, often circumventing the normal process of evaluation and competitive bidding.
The secretive practice has become mired in controversy and scandal, so Congress promised to reveal details about each earmark and drastically cut back on them.
But Congress continues to churn out earmarks, inserting more than 2,100 worth $8.5 billion in this year's defense bill — often without any disclosure, a Seattle Times investigation found.
The M291 earmarks reveal how lawmakers can micromanage military purchases to suit the needs of companies, constituents or campaign donors — instead of the needs of the soldiers.
Chemical warfare is a serious threat should U.S. troops ever clash with forces in Iran, Syria or North Korea, experts say. Most soldiers — including those at Fort Lewis — are still equipped with M291.
The decision of whether to give soldiers the powder or the lotion is ultimately up to commanders in the field, so the M291 earmarks don't necessarily mean troops will end up with inferior protection.
But by forcing the military to buy the older product, lawmakers are taking that chance, says Winslow Wheeler, a director at the nonpartisan Center for Defense Information. The M291 earmarks show that Congress still hasn't reformed, he said. "The pork process pays little attention to merit, reason and analysis."
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