Posted on 11/30/2010 9:27:35 AM PST by SeekAndFind
WASHINGTON -- The Senate Tuesday rejected a GOP bid to ban the practice of larding spending bills with earmarks - those pet projects that lawmakers love to send home to their states.
Most Democrats and a handful of Republicans combined to defeat the effort, which would have effectively forbidden the Senate from considering legislation containing earmarks like road and bridge projects, community development funding, grants to local police departments and special-interest tax breaks.
The 39-56 tally, however, was a better showing for earmark opponents, who lost a 29-68 vote earlier this year. Any votes next year should be closer because a band of anti-earmark Republicans is joining the Senate.
Earlier this month, Republicans bowed to tea party activists and passed a party resolution declaring GOP senators would give up earmarks. House Republicans have also given up the practice, but most Democrats say earmarks are a legitimate way to direct taxpayer money to their constituents.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Tuesday that Democrats had made the earmarking process far more transparent than it previously had been under GOP control of Congress. The reforms include requiring lawmakers to document every projects they seek and receive.
Seven Democrats voted with all but eight Republicans to ban the practice.
"I believe I have an important responsibility to the state of Illinois and the people I represent to direct federal dollars into projects critically important for our state and its future," Durbin said.
Critics say that peppering most spending bills with hundreds or even thousands of earmark projects creates a go-along-get-along mindset that ensures that Washington spending goes unchecked.
President Obama supports a ban as well, but hasn't fought them in the past two years.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
These people are looking for a beating...
November 2nd wasn’t loud enough. Organize and start 2012 campaigns NOW and make the list of those that must be voted out in 2012 to ensure a louder message for 2012.
http://senateconservatives.com/site/investments
If the GOP did this; the title would be something like "GOP stops effort to ban evil earmarks" or something like that?
“At the same time, eight Republicans who were who opposed the ban in a vote in March now have joined with earmark opponents, including Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, and Olympia Snowe of Maine.”
Poor writing aside, who were the other 5?
Correct Title:
“DEMOCRAT DOMINATED Senate shuns push for elimination of pet projects-AGAIN (no tax burden relief for The People)”
where’s the roll call vote for the Pubbies?
I want to see it compared to the R’s who voted to the R’s that voted yes on the food “safety” bill.
Who would have thought this /sarcasm
To the other “57” states I apologize for subjecting the US to this waste. Now we just need to know who the other 5 are so we can boot them out!!!!
Here they are:
Bob Bennett
Jim Inhofe
Lisa Murkowski
Thad Cochran
George Voinovich
Susan Collins
Richard Shelby
Dick Lugar
http://hotair.com/archives/2010/11/30/breaking-senate-rejects-earmark-ban-in-lame-duck-session/
Eight Republicans voted against the ban, mainly the usual suspects. Bob Bennett of Utah showed why voters were smart to go with Mike Lee in the primary. Jim Inhofe has publicly defended Congressional privilege, so his Nay was expected, as was that of Lisa Murkowski, Thad Cochran, George Voinovich, Susan Collins, and Richard Shelby. Dick Lugar voted against it too, just after complaining that he didn’t get enough respect from Tea Party conservatives; he can expect that to be a sore point in his re-election bid. Olympia Snowe was smarter — she will face a primary challenge and voted for the earmark ban to bolster her own center-right credentials.
The sources don’t match....
“There were eight Republican votes against the earmark ban: Bennett of Utah, Cochran, Collins, Inhofe, Lugar, Murkowski, Shelby, and Voinovich.”
Read more: http://nation.foxnews.com/earmark-ban/2010/11/30/senate-rejects-earmark-ban-56-39-vote#ixzz16n1KSxRm
If my sources are correct, it looks like the WaPo divide and conquer fix is underway. Notice how they didn’t provide a link for their bogus Repub nay vote but did for the other Republican ones.
It’s nasty NASTY “journalism” out there, folks. Let’s always be vigilant.
Bob Bennett
Jim Inhofe
Lisa Murkowski
Thad Cochran
George Voinovich
Susan Collins
Richard Shelby
Dick Lugar
If they are coming up in 12 the TeaParty should target them.
Sadly this is the price of failing to succeed in Delaware, Nevada, California, and likely Alaska. The establishment has decided they can fend off the attack and it’s Business as Usual.
was this a simple majority vote or cloture?
notably, 5 did not vote:
Bond (R-MO)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brownback (R-KS)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Bond has benefited from earmarks by getting his name prominently attached to his earmarks a la West Virginia’s Robert Bird (most recently the Kit Bond Bridge replacing The Paseo Bridge in KC) so he would likely have voted against —which I think he has indicated was his position (”Earmarks been, berry-berry good, to-me”)
Dont know why Brownback was a missed vote unless he is in KS preparing to take over as Gov.
Surprised (disapointed) in Inhofe. Just goes to show you can’t trust anyone in Washington. Amazingly the election was 23 days ago. How short of a memory can you get?
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