Earmark Ban May Not Pass
The Hill reports:
Senate proponents of a three-year moratorium on earmarks say they will not have enough votes to implement the reform measure when lawmakers consider the issue next week.
“We got a long road here, ” said a Senate GOP aide who supports the measure. “We are 70 yards from the goal line, but I think momentum is on our side.”
Whatever the outcome, proponents argue it will be an important test vote to put lawmakers on the record regarding the issue and could set up a victory in the 112th Congress.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has set a high bar by negotiating an agreement with Senate Republican leaders that requires 67 votes for the earmark moratorium to win adoption. Republican leaders agreed to the high threshold, seeing it as the only way to get a vote on the proposal.
A senior Senate GOP aide said Democrats facing reelection in 2012 would face attacks if they voted against the moratorium.
“Any one of their members who is up in 2012 and doesn’t support this is going to have a lot of explaining to do," said the aide in reference to Democrats.
Only a few Democrats have committed to supporting the ban proposed by Sens. Tom Coburn (R-Oka.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), which will be voted on as an amendment to the food-safety bill.
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