By a nearly 3-2 margin, the Senate voted Tuesday to let lawmakers keep sprinkling bills with home-state pet projects like roads, bridges, water treatment plants, grants to local police departments and special interest tax breaks. But with anti-earmark GOP reinforcements arriving in January, the curtain may soon come down on the practice.
Most Democrats and a handful of Republicans joined in a 56-39 majority to reject a ban on funding for home-state projects not included in the budget proposal that the president submits to Congress each year.
Earmark critics, nonetheless, rejoiced in the vote, noting their side had increased by 10 senators since they lost a 68-29 vote on the same question earlier this year. Any votes next year should be closer because a band of anti-earmark Republicans will join the Senate in January. Earmark opponent Jim DeMint, R-S.C., predicted his side will have 45 votes next time.
Senate Republicans bowed to tea party activists after the midterm elections and passed a party resolution declaring GOP that senators would give up earmarks. House Republicans who took 63 seats away from Democrats on Nov. 2 to become the majority in January also have given up the practice.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment