Democratic achievements in Congress

House OKs striking law on U.S. attorneys
Change is at the heart of controversy on firings

Exiting Iraq: An Extraordinary Political Moment

Take a deep breath. The nation has arrived at an extraordinary political moment. The Congress is about to instruct the President he should withdraw from the ongoing war. Yes, I know the fine print in the House and Senate versions has lots of wiggle room. But the congressional action is still breathtaking when you think about it [..].

I assumed it would take many months and numerous failed efforts for the new Democratic majority to reach this juncture. [..] I remember the torturous struggle in the Sixties waged by congressional opponents--Republicans and Democrats--trying to end the war in Vietnam. Their first resolutions were mild and deferential, politely urging Lyndon Johnson to start negotiating for peace. They were rejected. Subsequent measures raised the ante, but it took years of frustrating failure to get Congress to speak clearly. By comparison, the shift in politics this time moved like lightning.

NEW BUDGET RULES: House Dems adopt limits on 'earmarks,' deficit spending

San Francisco Chronicle
January 6, 2007

House Democrats, seeking to show they will be better stewards of taxpayers' money than their Republican predecessors, approved new budget rules Friday that require any new spending or tax cuts to be paid for by other spending cuts or tax increases.

The so-called pay-as-you-go budget rules were passed with broad support as part of a package that also requires lawmakers to disclose which "earmarks," or spending items, they have added to bills. The explosion of earmarks in recent years -- including the infamous "bridge to nowhere" in Alaska -- fueled voters' anger and contributed to Republicans' election losses last fall.

The rules changes were a one-two punch by new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, signaling the Democrats' plans to break from the deficit spending that has marked the last six years under President Bush and the GOP-led Congress. [..]

Earmark reform also became a hot election-year issue, especially after former San Diego County Republican Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham was convicted and sent to prison for doling out earmarks to defense contractors in return for more than $2 million in bribes. Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff called the appropriations committees earmarks "favor factories."

The new rules require members to publicly disclose their earmark requests and to certify that neither they nor their spouses will benefit financially from the requests. The measure also bars House leaders from providing earmarks to lawmakers in exchange for their votes on other legislation.

The earmark reforms drew rare praise from Republicans. Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who has led a yearslong crusade against earmarks, said the new majority went further in opening up the secretive process than GOP leaders were willing to go last year.

"Democrats had more guts than we did," Flake said. [..]

The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service noted that earmarks skyrocketed under Republican control of Congress, from 4,126 in 1994 to 15,877 in 2005, and their value doubled to $47.4 billion. [..]

Democrats were giddy at having notched back-to-back legislative wins, first on new ethics rules Thursday and then on budget and earmark reform Friday. [..]

The rule changes apply only to the House and do not need approval from the Senate or the president. The Senate is scheduled beginning Monday to take up its own ethics package, which includes a version of earmark reform.

Pelosi, in a statement late Friday, crowed about her party's early successes.

"These reforms are just our first steps," she said. "In the coming months, we will propose legislation to close the revolving door between government officials and lobbying firms and shine a light on lobbyists' efforts to influence legislation."

Have you found an article that explains why Pelosi had to bribe so many of her fellow congress people with $21 Billion dollars of pork in an emergency appropriations bill?

That would be an interesting read.

Have you found an article that explains why Pelosi had to bribe so many of her fellow congress people with $21 Billion dollars of pork in an emergency appropriations bill?

That would be an interesting read.

That's it? 3 things and one will never pass into law?

And I should be impressed because..............................

Have you found an article that explains why Pelosi had to bribe so many of her fellow congress people with $21 Billion dollars of pork in an emergency appropriations bill?

Quote:

The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service noted that earmarks skyrocketed under Republican control of Congress, from 4,126 in 1994 to 15,877 in 2005, and their value doubled to $47.4 billion. [..]

McGentrix wrote:

Have you found an article that explains why Pelosi had to bribe so many of her fellow congress people with $21 Billion dollars of pork in an emergency appropriations bill?

Looks to me like, even if all the $21 Billion were indeed pork, which, as Drew pointed out, it wasnt, the Dems would still have some space left before they'd equal the record that the previous Republican Congress set:

nimh wrote:

Quote:

The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service noted that earmarks skyrocketed under Republican control of Congress, from 4,126 in 1994 to 15,877 in 2005, and their value doubled to $47.4 billion. [..]

Way I see it, anything down from that again, is a plus.

Earmark monitor's exit baffles, troubles GOP

The federal agency that tracked pork-barrel spending during the 12 years of the Republican congressional majority has discontinued the practice since Democrats took power, riling lawmakers suspicious of the timing and concerned about the pace of fat being added to bills.

"To me, something doesn't smell right," said Sen. Jim DeMint, South Carolina Republican. "I just hope no one is pressuring" the Congressional Research Service (CRS).

While not blaming the Democratic leadership, Mr. DeMint added: "I guess if you're looking for a motive, you'd have to look in that direction."
CRS, a nonpartisan agency of the Library of Congress created to conduct research for members of Congress on legislative issues, changed its policy in February -- a month after Democrats took control of the Congress and vowed to curb the number of special-interest projects inserted into spending bills or even reports that don't require a vote.
CRS Director Daniel P. Mulhollan developed the policy after consulting with "internal CRS appropriations experts" and deciding the service was redundant with what other agencies do, CRS spokeswoman Janine D'Addario said.

"His decision was strictly an internal decision," said Miss D'Addario, whose agency began providing Congress members with information on earmarks in 1994, when Mr. Mulhollan took over as director.
CRS said the Office of Management and Budget recently has been taking on a greater role in monitoring earmarks. And with both chambers of Congress this year establishing new guidelines and clearer definitions of earmarks, the agency said its role as a scorekeeper of earmarks is obsolete.

Several lawmakers, particularly those who had come to rely on the agency to identify the dollar value of earmarks in appropriations and other laws, were caught off guard by the change.

"It's troubling -- I can't think of any justification for that," said Rep. Jeff Flake, Arizona Republican. "They've done good research in the past. ... That's what they're here for -- the benefit of the members" of Congress.
Democratic leaders with the House and Senate appropriations committees say they did not persuade Mr. Mulhollan to drop his agency's earmark practice.

Sen. Robert C. Byrd, West Virginia Democrat and chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, wasn't aware of the research service's change in policy until this week, spokesman Tom Gavin said.
"Senator Byrd is a strong supporter of CRS, and he in no way, shape or form tried to get them to change policy," Mr. Gavin said.

Republicans said they want an independent observer because pork is often in the eye of the beholder and estimates of the amount vary widely.
Citizens Against Government Waste put the figure for 2006 at $29 billion, while Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee said it was $17 billion. Mr. DeMint, citing a CRS report, said the amount totaled more than $67 billion.

Mr. DeMint said no other agency or group has the resources, expertise and access to provide Congress with data on earmarks.
"This is really baffling that CRS would do this," he said.
The Office of Management and Budget debuted a search engine on its Web site this year to track earmarks during fiscal 2005 and may expand the engine later. But the office has no plans to assume CRS' former role of earmarks scorekeeper for Congress, OMB spokesman Sean Kevelighan said.

"I haven't heard of any specific services that we're offering for members" of Congress, Mr. Kevelighan said.
Sen. Tom Coburn, Oklahoma Republican, said he first became aware the agency no longer would be conducting earmark research for Congress when it rejected a request he recently submitted for earmark data.
The senator held a "heated but direct" meeting with Mr. Mulhollan last week to voice his concerns, said Coburn spokesman John Hart, who was at the meeting.

"Mr. Mulhollan denied receiving any outside pressure [for the change in policy], but the evidence suggests otherwise," Mr. Hart said.
When Democrats took control of the 110th Congress in January, they promised to limit the long-standing and bipartisan practice of slipping pork spending into bills. But when the House last week passed a $124 billion emergency war-funding provision, the bill included as much as $20 billion in nonmilitary and pork-barrel spending, a move widely criticized by Republicans, including President Bush.

"This bill has too much pork, too many conditions and an artificial timetable for withdrawal," the president said last week.
The emergency war-funding provision included $74 million for the peanut industry, $124 million for the shrimp industry and $25 million for spinach producers. The war-funding bill is proof an independent third-party observer like the Congressional Research Service is needed to keep track of earmarks, many in Congress say.

"I can tell you it's very difficult to get this type of information from the [House] Appropriations Committee -- very difficult," Mr. Flake said.
Mr. DeMint and others say they're not ready to let the issue die.
"We're not going to let it go," Mr. DeMint said. "And if they don't eventually change their mind, then that would mean that something really is behind it."

McGentrix wrote:

Have you found an article that explains why Pelosi had to bribe so many of her fellow congress people with $21 Billion dollars of pork in an emergency appropriations bill?

That would be an interesting read.

Still beating that dead horse, eh?

NPR analyzied this alleged pork... found it to be beef.

the military doesn't get to hang out in Crawford a half dozen times a year and cut brush either.....

nimh wrote:

Looks to me like, even if all the $21 Billion were indeed pork, which, as Drew pointed out, it wasnt, the Dems would still have some space left before they'd equal the record that the previous Republican Congress set:

Quote:

The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service noted that earmarks skyrocketed under Republican control of Congress, from 4,126 in 1994 to 15,877 in 2005, and their value doubled to $47.4 billion. [..]

I'm sorry, did you say "as Drew pointed out, it wasnt,"?

There should be NO additional spending attached to this bill. [..] That what pork is.

[P]ork barrel politics describes American government spending that is intended to benefit constituents of a politician in return for their political support, either in the form of campaign contributions or votes. [..] Typically it involves funding for government programs whose economic or service benefits are concentrated in a particular area [..]. Public works projects and agricultural subsidies are the most commonly cited examples [..]. A politician who supplies his or her constituents with considerable funding is said to be "bringing home the bacon."