Posted on 07/30/2007 3:03:49 PM PDT by Joe Voter
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 is making its way around the internet today. The bill was suppose to be a "ethics and earmark reform" bill. However, the House version is much different than the Senate version. After reviewing the bill, it's more like the Dishonest Leadership and Closed Government Act of 2007. The bill has just enough bite to give the appearance of reform but does little to actually reform ethics or earmarks. Here are just a few examples:
-The new version removes the requirement for earmark lists posted online to be in searchable format.
-The new version removes the provision that prevented any bill from being considered at all prior to the disclosure of earmarks; now the text only prohibits a formal motion to proceed, which leaves open a procedural loophole that would allow bills to slip through without disclosure.
-The old version prohibited earmarks which benefit a Member, their staff, or their family/their staff's family. The new version waters that down and only prohibits earmarks that would "only" affect those parties --- which means so long as you can make a case that your shiny new project affects at least one person other
(Excerpt) Read more at meetjoevoter.com ...
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