Did Congressman Billy Long Just Vote Against Barring Earmarks from Military Appropriations?

We know when it comes to earmarks, Billy Long is like Jekyll and Hyde. Most Southwest Missourians know the Billy Long who shook his arms and claimed he was "fed up" of earmarks while signing no earmark pledges.



Then there is the Billy Long who actively pursued earmarks while serving on the Springfield Branson Airport board of directors, and Congressman Long who recently assured Drury University he would fight for the earmark money they were promised to build a storm shelter at the new O'Reilly Arena.



Well, Billy Long's fight against earmarks has more indications of personal failure and lack of will power than anything else. Looking through the legislation Long voted on this week, it appears Long voted against a bill that would have barred earmarks. While BBCW already discussed in some details the apparent contradictions in Long's stance on ensuring our military was taken care of this week, BBCW discovered another contradiction between Long's "fed up" rhetoric and how he has voted since he got to Washington.

Long voted no on H.R. 1473, Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011, even after claiming he was a champion to ensure men and women in uniform were taken care of. When Long voted against H.R. 1473, he also voted against language that barred earmarks from occurring in these types of bills. A section in the bill reads:

Bars any language specifying an earmark in an appropriations Act for FY2010, or in a committee report or joint explanatory statement accompanying such an Act, from having legal effect with respect to funds appropriated by this Act.