Sponsored Content
« Would-be Child Molester Back on the Streets in Nevada [Sobek] | Main | Five O'Clock Flashback »
September 14, 2006

Appropriations Committees Resist Further Necessary Reforms To Corrupt Earmark Process

The duece you say. Read about the reform not yet passed (this is not Obama-Coburn, already cleared through Congress) and ask: "What earthly reason, apart from plain corruption or disonesty, would motivate someone to oppose this common-sense reform?"

Under the proposed change, all committee reports for appropriations bills, authorization bills or tax bills will be required to contain a list of all the earmarks in the legislation along with the names of the member who requested the earmark. Also, conference reports will be required to contain the same list with additions from the conference. Members who find a particular earmark inappropriate or egregious will have the freedom to highlight that project.

The House Rules Committee is holding a committee markup on the rule change tomorrow and a vote has been scheduled for Thursday. The vote will be close.

Appropriators (of course) have problems with the legislation. As many as 15 appropriators could oppose the measure as it is currently written. There is hope of winning some Democratic votes though. The place to look for Democrat votes will be amongst the 35 moderates β€” a remnant of the blue dogs β€” who voted for line item veto powers for the President. But these votes will not come easy.

Democratic Leadership will be reluctant to allow GOP leadership a β€œwin” on an issue that is an intra-party problem (appropriators vs. rest of party) β€” especially because the issue is crucial to the fiscal conservative base who is considering what kind of mood to be in come November. As such, there may be significant pressure from Democratic leadership to scuttle GOP attempts to make this new rule.

Also read there about Rahm Emmanuel's attempt to slip in a rules change which, while superficially unobjectionable, seems designed to scuttle the difficult negotiations at the eleventh hour under the pretext of just wanting "more reform."

You can wait for "more reform" until the next session, Rahm, and you know it.

Instapundit has a list of Congressmen who need to be lobbied -- by their constituents. If you're a constituent, dial the number and ask to speak to the person who ostensibly represents you.

Squeeze 'em 'til their pips squeak.

Meanwhile... Obama-Coburn passes and only awaits the President's signature.

They've issued a statement thanking you.

β€œThis landmark transparency legislation will reduce wasteful spending by empowering every American to be a citizen investigator capable of holding the government accountable for spending decisions,” Coburn and Obama said. β€œThe bloggers, commentators and citizens who tirelessly pushed for this transparency legislation deserve full credit for its enactment.”

Thanks to Deep Stoat for the last bit.


digg this
posted by Ace at 04:09 PM

| Access Comments




Recent Comments
polynikes: "Posted by: Tom Servo at June 10, 2023 12:09 AM (S6 ..."

InZona: "I used to wonder how they quickly changed equipmen ..."

Tom Servo: "Buckaroo Bonzai was an almost-great movie. I pond ..."

Mr Aspirin Factory: "Friend of mine has adopted two kids. Rather, he s ..."

polynikes: "I handled my first Texas WC fatality the first wee ..."

BigMeanie: "You publish a story about a woman in South Korea m ..."

Thesokorus: " Thesaurus - Buckaroo Banzai is a great flick. And ..."

18-1: "There are no leftwing libertarian and can never be ..."

scampydog: "271 First warehouse job I had, we used the pallet ..."

Pedo Bill Clinton: "[i]The reason Nazis and Commies fight each other s ..."

Tom Servo: "On the topic of great B movies - just finished rew ..."

Tonypete: "I was adopted and I still thank the good Lord each ..."

Recent Entries
Search


Polls! Polls! Polls!
Frequently Asked Questions
The (Almost) Complete Paul Anka Integrity Kick
Top Top Tens
Greatest Hitjobs

The Ace of Spades HQ Sex-for-Money Skankathon
A D&D Guide to the Democratic Candidates
Margaret Cho: Just Not Funny
More Margaret Cho Abuse
Margaret Cho: Still Not Funny
Iraqi Prisoner Claims He Was Raped... By Woman
Wonkette Announces "Morning Zoo" Format
John Kerry's "Plan" Causes Surrender of Moqtada al-Sadr's Militia
World Muslim Leaders Apologize for Nick Berg's Beheading
Michael Moore Goes on Lunchtime Manhattan Death-Spree
Milestone: Oliver Willis Posts 400th "Fake News Article" Referencing Britney Spears
Liberal Economists Rue a "New Decade of Greed"
Artificial Insouciance: Maureen Dowd's Word Processor Revolts Against Her Numbing Imbecility
Intelligence Officials Eye Blogs for Tips
They Done Found Us Out, Cletus: Intrepid Internet Detective Figures Out Our Master Plan
Shock: Josh Marshall Almost Mentions Sarin Discovery in Iraq
Leather-Clad Biker Freaks Terrorize Australian Town
When Clinton Was President, Torture Was Cool
What Wonkette Means When She Explains What Tina Brown Means
Wonkette's Stand-Up Act
Wankette HQ Gay-Rumors Du Jour
Here's What's Bugging Me: Goose and Slider
My Own Micah Wright Style Confession of Dishonesty
Outraged "Conservatives" React to the FMA
An On-Line Impression of Dennis Miller Having Sex with a Kodiak Bear
The Story the Rightwing Media Refuses to Report!
Our Lunch with David "Glengarry Glen Ross" Mamet
The House of Love: Paul Krugman
A Michael Moore Mystery (TM)
The Dowd-O-Matic!
Liberal Consistency and Other Myths
Kepler's Laws of Liberal Media Bias
John Kerry-- The Splunge! Candidate
"Divisive" Politics & "Attacks on Patriotism" (very long)
The Donkey ("The Raven" parody)
Powered by
Movable Type 2.64