Video of Santorum, O’Connell, and Protesters

University President Rev. David M. O’Connell greets former Senator Rick Santorum before his speech at the Catholic University of America on October 1, 2008.

Protesters also interrupted Santorum’s speech, check out the video below.

Former Senator Rick Santorum’s Speech to College Republicans

Senator Rick Santorum spoke to College Republicans at the Catholic University of America on October 1, 2008.

Senator Who Used Earmarks to Benefit University to Address Students

The University has not received an earmark in ten years, since an amendment to an unrelated bill helped the University gain land from the Armed Services Memorial Home. That earmark was, in part, placed in legislation by Senator Rick Santorum, who is speaking at the University on Wednesday.

In 1998, Santorum and Senator Ted Kennedy attempted to create an earmark which required the Memorial Home to sell its excess property to the University, without placing it on the open market for bids. Both being high-profile Roman Catholics in Congress, they were reportedly asked to do so by the Archdiocese of Washington.

They were hoping that the University would have been able to get the property for much less than the appraised value. After the deal was discovered by government watchdogs, the property was re-designated to be sold to the highest bidder, which resulted in the University still acquiring the land, but at a higher price.

“A far as earmarks go, [the University doesn’t] get any,“ said Ralph Albano, associate provost from the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research. “ Because the District of Columbia has no representatives in Congress, there is nobody pulling strings for us to get things earmarked just for the University‘s use.“

Earmarks are non-competitive congressional provisions that direct approved funds to be spent on specific endeavors, or that direct specific exemptions from taxes or mandated fees. They differ from grants in that grants are competitive awards from the federal government to the recipient, usually in order to fund projects such as externally sponsored research.

In 1983, the University received one of its first earmarks, a $14.2 million allocation that helped fund the construction of Hannan Hall, home to the Vitreous State Laboratory. Annually, about ten percent of the grant money awarded to the University goes to the VSL, located in the basement of that building.

“It is consistently by far our biggest research venue on-campus,” Albano said. “VSL actually did more proposals this year than in the past couple of years.”

The University received 265 awards totaling $ 20.8 million in grants, allowing different departments to expand and research in a variety of fields.