Recently The U.S. House, controlled by Democrats passed legislation making it harder to hide earmarks, a big plus for taxpayers.
Soon thereafter, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid opposed full transparency of this destructive practice
It has come to light that Reid's family, five strong, have been lawyers or lobbyists for special interests. The University of Nevada at Reno has received millions of federal dollars from earmarks. Reid’s son in law, lawyer Steven Barringer was a paid lobbyist for the university.
On the Republican side Senator Ted Stevens who has gained notoriety for nearly getting millions for the “Bridge To Nowhere", has a son, Ben, in the Alaska Senate who was the head of the Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board. Senator Ted was able to get $29 million in earmarks for that entity.
Senator Reid’s initial bill introduced last week was a sham that would ignore dealing with the likes of the nearly 13, 000 earmarks of the last congress.
When Reid introduced his bill, Senator Jim DeMint a Republican from South Carolina, used the language from the Democratic House bill to offer as an amendment to the original Senate bill. Some Democratic Senators loudly denounced the amendment, not realizing it was Democratic language.
Reid moved to table DeMint’s amendment but failed on a 51-46 vote.
Thirty-eight Democrats and seven Republicans, joined the Reed obstruction, not wanting to lose their pork capability.
What Will The Conference Compromise Yield?
This week the fight continues with what is now called the "Reid amendment", not actually created by Senator Reid, but so named as result of his obstructionist tactics.
Senators under this amendment would be prohibited from requesting earmarks that "financially benefit a senator, an immediate family member of a senator or a family member of a senator's staffer." The Majority Leader’s fight against reform has been described as “furious."
Although the House version passed last week is stronger, the whole thing could still become a sham after a Senate-House compromise.
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