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Democrats announce plan (!) to cut out the pork

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  • Democrats announce plan (!) to cut out the pork

    Dems to Wipe Out Pet Projects in Bills
    Dec 11 8:08 PM US/Eastern

    By ANDREW TAYLOR
    Associated Press Writer


    Democrats tidying up a cluster of unfinished spending bills dumped on them by departing Republican leaders in Congress will start by removing billions of dollars in lawmakers' pet projects next month.

    The move, orchestrated by the incoming chairmen of the House and Senate Appropriations committees, could prove politically savvy even as it proves unpopular with other members of Congress, who as a group will lose thousands of so-called earmarks.

    "There will be no congressional earmarks," Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., and Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., said Monday in a statement announcing their plans, which were quickly endorsed by incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D- Nev.

    Earmarks are congressionally mandated projects such as grants for local governments, home-state universities and hospitals, roads, bridges and flood control construction, and economic development efforts not included in the president's spending proposals.

    Often called "pork" by critics, their sponsors defend inserting the projects into spending bills by claiming that, as elected representatives, they know more about the needs of people in their states and government programs than the president or bureaucrats in the executive branch.

    Such projects have exploded in number under GOP control of Congress over the last 12 years and at the same time have spawned a boom on Washington's K Street lobbying corridor, where consultants earn big fees by helping outsiders navigate the system.

    Democrats, facing a huge bind in having to complete nine unfinished budget bills at the same time they want to advance their own agenda, say they now plan to advance a single spending bill covering 13 Cabinet departments. The unappealing alternative was a time- and energy-consuming legislative slog just as President Bush's new budget and a $100 billion-plus Iraq funding bill are due to arrive on Capitol Hill.

    "It is important that we clear the decks quickly so that we can get to work on the American people's priorities, the President's anticipated war funding request and a new budget," Obey and Byrd said.

    The bill should encounter little resistance from Republicans and the White House since it will stick within President Bush's tight budget limits for domestic programs.

    The move won applause from a Senate GOP conservative who worked to block Republicans in his own party from passing a huge, pork-laden spending bill in their final days controlling Congress

    "I'm glad the Democrats are taking a time-out on pork-barrel spending," said Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C. "It's refreshing to hear them say they are going to reform the earmarking process to make it transparent and accountable."

    Congress earned a black eye over mandating project-specific appropriations when former Rep. Randy Cunningham, R-Calif., admitted taking $2.4 million in bribes in exchange for earmarking projects to defense contractors. Cunningham, who held seats on the House intelligence and appropriations committees, is now serving an eight- year federal prison sentence.

    Obey and Byrd said lawmakers could re-apply for home-state projects next year when Congress turns to the fiscal 2008 budget cycle _ after reforms of the earmarking process are put in place.

    They said some of the money set aside in the pending bills for home- state earmarks will be shifted to programs Democrats feel have been shortchanged by Bush's budget, such as health research, education and grants to local law enforcement agencies.

    Just how much money would be redirected is unclear. Projects such as levees and federal grants to housing and transit authorities will still be funded, but the administration will determine how to spend pools of money that Congress usually divides up, specifying the amounts for particular projects.

    Obey and Byrd said their plan "provides the administration far too much latitude in spending the people's money. But that is a temporary price that we will pay" to be able to devote time and energy to Bush's Iraq funding request and next year's budget.

    Returning authority to the White House to specify which projects get how much money raises the risk of an even more closed process. The administration could use the process to reward allies and punish critics. Veteran appropriations committee members _ the "Old Bulls" of Congress _ also could lobby over the phone for earmarks even as they leave them out of the upcoming spending bill.

    "We will certainly work with the agencies and the Hill to ensure there are no major disruptions to essential government service," said Sean Kevelighan, spokesman for the White House budget office.
    Baby steps, but baby steps in the right direction.
    "I predict your ignore will rival Ben's" - Ecofarm
    ^ The Poly equivalent of:
    "I hope you can see this 'cause I'm [flipping you off] as hard as I can" - Ignignokt the Mooninite

  • #2
    Such projects have exploded in number under GOP control of Congress over the last 12 years and at the same time have spawned a boom on Washington's K Street lobbying corridor, where consultants earn big fees by helping outsiders navigate the system.
    So in Clinton years. Yes. Baby steps, indeed.
    Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.
    "Hating America is something best left to Mobius. He is an expert Yank hater.
    He also hates Texans and Australians, he does diversify." ~ Braindead

    Comment


    • #3
      If they do them, and don't just replace republipork with democrapork, then to them ... but I'm not entirely convinced. Particularly the part:

      Obey and Byrd said lawmakers could re-apply for home-state projects next year when Congress turns to the fiscal 2008 budget cycle _ after reforms of the earmarking process are put in place.
      Does not make me have happy feelings. It sounds like a political move to kill pork that the republicans pass and then reinstate it next year when it can be easily and quietly with the rest of it, except making sure the pork is in the Democrats' districts
      <Reverend> IRC is just multiplayer notepad.
      I like your SNOOPY POSTER! - While you Wait quote.

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      • #4
        Luckily for the American public, we Democrats are not as adept as Republicans in passing pork barrel legislation. We'll try, of course, but I'm sure we'll screw up most of our attempts to gouge the American taxpayers.

        Comment


        • #5
          That's a ringing endorsement.
          Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.
          "Hating America is something best left to Mobius. He is an expert Yank hater.
          He also hates Texans and Australians, he does diversify." ~ Braindead

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by SlowwHand


            So in Clinton years. Yes. Baby steps, indeed.
            So Clinton was the one earmarking projects in GOP-authored Congressional spending bills?
            "I predict your ignore will rival Ben's" - Ecofarm
            ^ The Poly equivalent of:
            "I hope you can see this 'cause I'm [flipping you off] as hard as I can" - Ignignokt the Mooninite

            Comment


            • #7
              That's a ringing endorsement.
              Hey, you're looking at the party that nominated Gore and Kerry. Now we have the witch and the wienie in charge of the House and Senate. Need I say more?

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Democrats announce plan (!) to cut out the pork

                "There will be no congressional earmarks," Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., and Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., said Monday in a statement announcing their plans, which were quickly endorsed by incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D- Nev.
                HA! HA![/Nelson]
                "There are many earmarks that are very worthy, all of mine, as a matter of fact." - Speaker Pelosi

                "There's nothing basically wrong with the earmarks. They've been going on since we were a country." - Senate Majority Leader Reid

                "[Sen. Reid] makes no apologies for delivering for Nevada. This is a process that's been in place a long time. It's what allows him to get things done for the state." - Spokesman Jon Summers

                "They call me 'The Pork King,' they don't know how much I enjoy it." - Sen. Robert Byrd

                "You might as well slap my wife as take away my highway money." - Sen. Robert Byrd

                Baby steps indeed.
                I make no bones about my moral support for [terrorist] organizations. - chegitz guevara
                For those who aspire to live in a high cost, high tax, big government place, our nation and the world offers plenty of options. Vermont, Canada and Venezuela all offer you the opportunity to live in the socialist, big government paradise you long for. –Senator Rubio

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                • #9
                  one thing I hope they will make transparent is the actual dollar value, what was the last quoted one, 16 billion?

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                  • #10
                    Why would Byrd allow for such a thing, Whoha?
                    I make no bones about my moral support for [terrorist] organizations. - chegitz guevara
                    For those who aspire to live in a high cost, high tax, big government place, our nation and the world offers plenty of options. Vermont, Canada and Venezuela all offer you the opportunity to live in the socialist, big government paradise you long for. –Senator Rubio

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      to shut everyone up about the trivial amount hes spending in pork in comparision to the size of the overall budget

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by SlowwHand


                        So in Clinton years. Yes. Baby steps, indeed.


                        Yes -- the same time when REPUBLICANS dominated Congress, and not Democrats.
                        A lot of Republicans are not racist, but a lot of racists are Republican.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by MrFun




                          Yes -- the same time when REPUBLICANS dominated Congress, and not Democrats.

                          a) You were beat to the punch by ZKrib

                          b) Ouch Slowwy

                          c) Color me a skeptic, but if it happens props to the Dems.
                          "Just puttin on the foil" - Jeff Hanson

                          “In a democracy, I realize you don’t need to talk to the top leader to know how the country feels. When I go to a dictatorship, I only have to talk to one person and that’s the dictator, because he speaks for all the people.” - Jimmy Carter

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                          • #14
                            Damn, I just opened a thread about this.
                            Try http://wordforge.net/index.php for discussion and debate.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              This is great news for tax payers if it actually happens. After the outgoing 109th Congress left town without even doing its most basic Constitutional duty to pass a national budget the 110th Congress was stuck with dealing with this political hot potato. At least if you believe what the Democrats are saying then there might be reason to believe some sanity is returning to Washington. Supposedly, the new budget will completely remove all earmarks. I wonder if it will actually happen.
                              Try http://wordforge.net/index.php for discussion and debate.

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