Mitch McConnell Backs Earmarks Ban

[sabra]

Source: CBS News

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has endorsed a moratorium on earmarks despite his earlier opposition to a push by Tea Party-backed lawmakers for such a ban in the new Congress.

"Today I am announcing that I will join the Republican Leadership in the House in support of a moratorium on earmarks in the 112th Congress," McConnell said today.

He added: "Banning earmarks is another small but important symbolic step we can take to show that we're serious, another step on the way to serious and sustained cuts in spending and to the debt."

Tea Party darling Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), with the support of senators backed by the Tea Party movement, last week formally proposed an earmarks ban in the new Congress.

"If adopted, this earmark ban will unite Senate Republicans with House Republicans in taking a stand against wasteful, pork-barrel spending," he said in the statement.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20022851-503544.html

[veganlush]

1. morans...n/t

[gratuitous]

2. Another flip-flop from Mitchie the Turtle

Quick quiz for those who read on as far as the parroted the "wasteful, pork-barrel spending" line: What percentage of the federal budget is subject to earmarks? Is it:

a) 75%
b) 35%
c) 10%
d) 5%
e) None of the above

The answer, according to the article, is that it's less than 1%, about $14 billion total. McConnell was right previously when he said that banning earmarks wouldn't save any money. But now that his remaining senses have left him, the Minority Leader of the Senate thinks now is a good time to change his alleged mind.

[Kingofalldems]

3. He knows it won't pass

Another trick.

[sasquuatch55]

4. Backroom deals still on the table....

nt

[savalez]

5. This whole earmark thing is blatant politcal posturing.

[ProudDad]

6. Oh, I thought he meant ear TAG ban...

Never Mind...

[Bigmack]

7. I say again.. Earmarks ain't shit..

This whole issue is a shiny object dangled in the eyes of the gullible to distract them from the real deficit causes...
- - - - - -

"These earmarks and "pork" projects are bankrupting America." You hear that a lot. Not true, though.

This year Congress spent $16.5 billion on 9,129 projects around the country, according to Citizens Against Government Waste. Which is also less than one-half of 1 percent of all federal spending.

In fact, if you could retroactively undo every single pork-barrel project Congress has passed during the past 20 years — all 110,000 of them — you would have enough money to buy down the $13.7 trillion national debt by ... 2 percent.

http://www.cagw.org /

The two wars, the Bush tax cuts and the Medicare prescription-drug program the Republicans pushed through in 2003. The Republicans controlled both houses of Congress, and pushed the Medicare drug bill through by ending a filibuster by the Democrats. Just the drug program, which was never accounted for in the budget until 2009, is adding more to the deficit than the bank bailout, the stimulus and the new health-care law combined.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicare_Pres...

- - - - - -
"Foreign aid is bankrupting America." You hear that a lot, too. Not true, though.

Do you have any idea how little we give in foreign aid? $18 Billion total, and Israel gets $4Billion and Egypt gets $4 Billion right off the top of that. Those are Treaty obligations. So.. you're talking $10 Billion available. Lemme see... $10 Billion a year ...and most of our foreign aid is for things like drug interdiction and "aid in kind"... weapons that we build in this country, for example. The US spends 2/10 of 1% of our national income.. less than 1% of our national budget.
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/201...

http://masbury.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/wh... /
- - - - - -

"Obama's spending is bankrupting America." You hear that a lot. Not true, though.

Here's a chart of the Congressional Budget Office report.... note the effects of the Wars and the Tax Cut for the rich. They just grow and grow. Obama's Recovery spending barely shows.



- - - - - - -

If "Pork", Foreign Aid, and Obama's spending aren't bankrupting us... what is?"

$ 1 Trillion dollar a year military spending is the major cause. That's almost 60% of our budget's discretionary spending. Time to reign in military spending.

[naaman fletcher]

8. the argument though:

is that although the amount of the actual earmarks is small, they are the bribe money that get congressmen to vote for the larger pork projects like highway bills, farm supports, etc.

I don't have an opinion on the issue yet, I'm sort of open to both sides.

[Mz Pip]

9. Do it.

Honestly, I would love to see this happen. If states want less money from the Federal government let them see what will happen. They will probably have to raise state taxes in order to make up for the money they won't be getting from the Feds.

One of these years I would just love to see the Democrats call their bluff and give them what they want.