After last week's
embarrassing defeat on the Senate floor, I figured Majority Leader
Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) would've learned something valuable about earmark reform. Apparently not.
The Senate is embroiled in another fight this afternoon on the issue -- this time involving an amendment offered by Sen.
Judd Gregg (R.-N.H.). Gregg wants the Senate to have an up-or-down vote on his proposal to
reduce wasteful spending. Reid wants nothing to do with it.
Andy Roth at the
Club for Growth,
Mark Tapscott at the
Examiner and
Andrew Moylan at the
National Taxpayers Union have more details. You can also
watch the Senate's proceeding online.
UPDATE -- 4:53 p.m.: We're now hearing that Reid has agreed to negotiate with Gregg. However, I don't have any details or if this is a serious effort to avert a conflict.
UPDATE -- 4:56 p.m.: Senate Minority Leader
Mitch McConnell (R.-Ky.) is backing Gregg in this fight.
Fiscal responsibility is not just an election-day issue. If we are serious about reform, we must take the steps necessary to marry fiscal rhetoric with fiscal reality. The commonsense reform offered by Sen. Gregg is an opportunity to do that -- it deserves a vote.
UPDATE -- 5:58 p.m.: Sen.
Jon Kyl (R.-Ariz.) says members of the Senate Republican Conference, which he chairs, "will vote to continue debate on lobbying reform legislation until important Republican amendments to strengthen the legislation are included."
The following amendments are a few examples of the many reforms proposed by Republicans to strengthen the current lobbying reform legislation:
Cornyn Amendment – To require 72-hour public availability of legislative matters before consideration.
Gregg Amendment – To establish a legislative line item veto. The Second Look at Wasteful Spending Amendment allows the President to rescind wasteful spending measures and send them back to Congress for reconsideration.
Coburn Amendment – To prohibit members from requesting earmarks that may financially benefit that member or an immediate family member of that member.
Vitter Amendment - To prohibit the spouses of Members of Congress from lobbying any Member of Congress.
