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Senate Rejects Obama’s Modest Earmark Reforms
DeMint amendment would have prevented legislation that violated the President’s earmark reforms |
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April 2, 2009 - Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina), chairman of the Senate Steering Committee, made the following statement after his amendment to the budget resolution to prevent Congress from passing legislation that violates President Obama’s earmark reforms was rejected by a vote of 28-69.
“Americans are fed up with wasteful earmark spending, but Washington politicians continue to fight every attempt to achieve common sense reform,” said Senator DeMint. “The President campaigned against earmarks, but he backed off his pledge to stop the favor factory after big spenders in his own party warned him not to stop their pork. After he signed over 9,000 earmarks into law in the wasteful omnibus, he pledged to fight for a number of earmark reforms.”
“Once again, the big spenders in the President’s own party have rejected these simple steps to reform out of control spending.”
“These big spenders voted against public hearings on earmarks. These senators voted against posting their earmarks on the internet for all Americans to see. They even voted against a simple requirement that earmarks shouldn’t be traded for bribes. This is how far big spenders in Washington will go to keep their pork and its offensive to taxpayers.”
The President outlined his earmark reforms on March 11, 2009, stating that “…[E]armarks have been used as a vehicle for waste, and fraud, and abuse. Projects have been inserted at the 11th hour, without review, and sometimes without merit, in order to satisfy the political or personal agendas of a given legislator, rather than the public interest.”
DeMint’s amendment would have created a 60 vote point of order against legislation that includes earmarks that do not comply with the President’s new earmark reforms. Specifically, the amendment would have made it harder for Congress to pass legislation that includes earmarks that:• Are directed to a for-profit entity.
(“Any earmark for a for-profit private company should be subject to the same competitive bidding requirements as other federal contracts.” Remarks by the President On Earmark Reform, March 11, 2009);
• Have not been subject to a public hearing where the sponsor testifies on its behalf
(“Each earmark must be open to scrutiny at public hearings, where members will have to justify their expense to the taxpayer.” Remarks by the President On Earmark Reform, March 11, 2009); and
• Have not been posted on the Senator’s website 72 hours before the bill is considered.
(“Earmarks that members do seek must be aired on those members' websites in advance, so the public and the press can examine them and judge their merits for themselves.” Remarks by the President On Earmark Reform, March 11, 2009)
• Finally the amendment also prohibits Senators from trading earmarks for political favors.
(“Furthermore, it should go without saying that an earmark must never be traded for political favors.” Remarks by the President On Earmark Reform, March 11, 2009)
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