Many politicians argue that earmarks don’t cost the federal government very much. They say that if you take away earmarks, you are not lowering the cost of appropriations bills. They argue that you are merely transferring authority to fund waste from the legislative branch to the executive branch of the federal government. This argument is bunk.
Paul Revere received a $400,000 earmark in the Omnibus Spending bill – well at least his house did. The Paul Revere House received an earmark, thanks to Congressman Mike Capuano (D-MA). It is ironic that the Tea Party movement has risen up to fight against out of control government spending, yet the elites in Washington, DC think it appropriate to soil the name of an American | Read More »
What do you call the Senate’s Omnibus Spending Bill? An Earmark Bonanza — An Earmark-A-Thon — The Earmark-bus. Clearly, this bill is an outrage to the taxpayer and conservative Senators. The Senate is about to vote on an Omnibus Spending Bill funding the federal government for the year. House and Senate appropriators crafted a bill in secret and, just yesterday, provided text to Senators and the American people. | Read More »
Taxes and spending are on the House and Senate agenda for today. After the Senate passes the President’s tax deal, the House may blow up the compromise by changing the Death Tax. Later this week, Senate appropriators are reportedly trying to sneak through a massive new Omnibus spending bill. They are planning on offering an Omnibus Spending bill as a complete substitute for the Continuing Resolution, a bill to fund the | Read More »
Today starts the race the finish line for the 111th Congress. They can’t get out of town too soon. With breaking news that the invidual mandate is unconstitutional, the big issues this week will be ObamaCare, taxes and the spending issues for the year. The Senate is scheduled to continue debate on a motion to concur with respect to H.R. 4853, the vehicle for the tax compromise. A vote | Read More »
There are no votes scheduled in the House and Senate today. Finally, legislation memorializing the agreement between the White House and congressional leaders has been introduced in the Senate and provided to the American public. This legislation is titled the Reid-McConnell Amendment. Here is a PDF of a summary of the agreement on CQ (subscription required). The Senate are debating this legislation today and a vote is | Read More »
Today is a busy day for the House and Senate. The details of a final deal on the Obama tax negotiations have yet to be shared with Senators, yet Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has told Politico that “I’m hoping that in the next day or two that we can be on that.” The American people have a right to see the final details | Read More »
Today is check the box day in the Senate. Votes scheduled on one labor issue, one gay rights issue, one immigration reform issue, one 9/11 health care issue and one Social Security issue. None of the bills dealing with these issues are expected to pass, because all 42 Republican Senators are expected to vote against cloture on all legislative items until the tax issue is | Read More »
One of the best things to come out of the White House and Capitol Hill tax deal is that the liberals are apoplectic that there is no extension of the so called ”Build America Bonds.” These bonds are a rolling-state-government bailout mechanism that subsidizes the interest rate of state issued bonds. Essentially, these bonds put off the day of reckoning for the blue states that are in a terminal | Read More »
Conservatives disagree as to whether the tax deal cut between the White House and Capitol Hill’s leaders is a good deal for America. Some conservatives argue that the new congress could have forced a long term deal on extending tax relief permanently for all Americans. Some conservatives are happy to get some tax relief before tax season starts on January 1st and believe that it is the best we could | Read More »
Liberal Democrats are going to take a run at the Filibuster in January. The have adopted idea that the Senate is not a continuing body and that the rules can be changed with a simple majority of Senators voting in a new Congress, in January, to adopt new rules. This interpretation of the Senate rules ignores the clear rules of the Senate and long tradition | Read More »
Late last week, Congress passed a Continuing Resolution funding the government until December 18th. Congress has two big items left on the agenda — tax cuts and an appropriations bill funding the federal government into next year. Liberals would like to take up other issues, yet taxes and spending are the only two issues that Congress has to get done before they finally end this Lame Duck | Read More »
Gun Owners of America (GOA) has a great idea for Members of Congress — Read the Constitution. GOA is advocating that Members of Congress read the Constitution early in the next Congress out loud on the House and Senate floor. What a great idea. Will liberal Senators raise a point of order because they don’t want to hear the 2nd Amendment’s mandate that: The right of the people to | Read More »
A shorter post today, because nothing much happening on the Hill. The President’s Debt Commission failed to garner the 14 votes out of 18 necessary this morning on the official commission report that would increase taxes by one trillion over the next 10 years. The House passed last evening a bill that would increase taxes on families making more than $250,000 a year. The Senate passed late last | Read More »
Keeping taxes low is finally front and center on the Congressional agenda. Today, Democrats in the House are pushing for a vote Obama version of limited tax relief for American families making under $250,000 and individuals making under $200,000. Republicans in Congress are pledging to fight for tax cuts for job creators making more than that amount and retention of lower rates on capital gains, dividends and the | Read More »
Retiring Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) gave his farewell speech on the Senate floor yesterday and he reiterated his opposition to filibuster reform. Dodd, as quoted by The Hill, said yesterday: I can understand the temptation to change the rules that make the Senate so unique — and, simultaneously, so frustrating. The Senate was designed to be different, not simply for the sake of variety, but because | Read More »
The President met with Congressional Leaders yesterday at the White House. A path forward seemed to emerge on extending tax cuts for all Americans and the appropriations work for the year. The problem with the outline of the deal vetted yesterday, is that the extension of tax cuts for 2 or 3 more years may come at too high of a price for conservatives. The Senate | Read More »
They just don’t get it here in Washington, DC. The Senate voted today for business as usual — against an amendment by Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) to ban earmarking by Senators. The vote was conducted under a suspension of the Senate’s rules, yet it garnered only 39 votes in favor of an earmark ban for the whole Senate. They love pork on Capitol Hill. | Read More »
The WikiLeaks document release will dominate the conversation inside the beltway today and this week. Tomorrow, the President’s Debt Commission will meet in an attempt to report a package of legislative items to Congress. The Commission needs 14 of 18 members to vote to report any measure and they are operating under a December 1st deadline to settle on a report. Also on Tuesday, the | Read More »
Earmark reform hits phase two this week. Now that House and Senate Republicans have promised not to earmark, the fight goes to the House and Senate Floor. Expect votes in both the House and Senate over the next few months to ban the corrupting and wasteful practice of earmarking for the whole Congress. Today, The House is voting on Senate amendments to a telecommuting bill for | Read More »
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