From One Wisconsin Now:
Yesterday Wisconsin Congressman Dave Obey announced in a joint letter with Sen. Robert Byrd that the Democrats would be putting a temporary moratorium on special earmark spending that has exploded while the GOP has controlled Congress. They said that elected officials can resubmit their requests for earmarks at a later time but it would only be after significant reform.The Washington Post also reported on this. A couple of paragraphs of note from that article:
What led to the decision was the fact that Republicans left town only completing work on two of the 11 spending bills for the 2007 fiscal year. The Democratic appropriations chairmen determined that it would be better to extend current levels of spending until the 2008 fiscal year begins rather than get bogged down with the GOP's unfinished work. Democrats plan on restoring some funding during this time to many programs that were drastically cut in the 109th Congress such as in education and law enforcement. They hope that the savings realized with the moratorium on earmarks will help fill these gaps.
Several fiscally conservative Republicans were actually pleased with the Democratic move on earmarks as their leadership failed to provide any solutions to stem the flow. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C. said, "I'm glad the Democrats are taking a time-out on pork-barrel spending. It's refreshing to hear them say they are going to reform the earmarking process to make it transparent and accountable."
In their letter on Monday Obey and Byrd made sure to note that the last time that the last time Congress passed all appropriation bills separately and on schedule, and got them signed by the president in time for the next fiscal year, was in 1994, the last year they both served as chairmen. In November 1994, a month after the 1995 fiscal year began, Republicans won control of Congress.
Obey and Byrd noted that the last time Congress passed all appropriation bills separately and on schedule, and got them signed by the president in time for the next fiscal year, was in 1994, the last year they both served as chairmen. In November 1994, a month after the 1995 fiscal year began, Republicans won control of Congress.Hat tip to Brewtown Politico on this one.
For more or less every year since the takeover, the GOP has struggled to produce a smooth succession of spending bills, creating strained relations between the more ideologically minded Republican leadership in both chambers and their more practical-minded appropriations colleagues. Most recently, the Senate has been the stubborn obstacle, with Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) refusing to advance spending bills during a hard-fought election year.
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