Earmarks, or spending designated for specific projects requested by members of Congress, briefly vanished when Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in 2011, but they have since returned. Now, Democrats are using them to fund “woke” pet projects in their home districts under the guise of “diversity” and “inclusion.”
Fox News reported that Democrats have earmarked “millions of dollars in the upcoming spending bill for unique projects that are designed to advance social justice goals.” Fox compiled a list of some of the projects:
–$1 million for a “cultural placemaking” initiative designed to celebrate the history and culture of Black Los Angeles by Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif. The project is described as an “innovative 1.3-mile public/private streetscape improvement” to celebrate Black culture.
–In Wisconsin, Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan is asking for $1 million to plan and construct a 55,000-square-foot space for Black enterprise, art, history, performance and culture.
–Illinois Democrat Rep. Cheri Bustos asked for $750,000 to create a “Youth Equity Center” that would help children address the “necessary social determinants of health to be successful.”
–Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is requesting $742,000 for a program that will provide a space for “inclusion and healthy discussions around difficult issues such as racism, gender discrimination and cultural bias.”
–Rep. Donald Payne Jr., D-N.J., earmarked $1.1 million for a “Center for Child and Human Development” that would include “integrated education, human services and social work” in order to prepare students to “challenge unequal structures and systems around race, age and social class.” The center’s programs would fill the place of school counseling jobs.
–In California, Rep. Barbara Lee, has asked for $1 million to provide “culturally relevant” medical services to the Black community.
–An additional $1 million is being allotted by Rep. Dwight Evans, D-Pa., for “health equity clinics that provide primary and preventive health care services.”
–Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo., requested funding for $455,020 for “increased access, equity and diversity in health careers.”
–Ohio Democrat Rep. Joyce Beatty earmarked $482,500 for a new institute focused on “the interdisciplinary nature of scholarship on race, racial inequality, and social policy.” The goal of the institute is to advance policies and approaches that will “effectively support more socially equitable outcomes” in health, education, public safety and other areas for people of all races.
–Progressive “Squad” member Rep. Ayanna Soyini Pressley, D-Mass., requested $286,000 in funding to purchase technology and “culturally relevant” read aloud books that support the goal of “offering a more equitable and relevant literacy curriculum to students” in public schools.
In addition to these earmarks, Fox reported, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) requested $166,000 for an “equity and inclusion” program at Lincoln University, while Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) sought $81,000 for a “social-emotional” learning program in his home state.
The requested funds go to programs that sound acceptable, using current woke terms, but they are just buzzwords for teaching children that America is irredeemably racist and, often, that white people are inherently bad.