Proposals to ban earmarks continue to pick up steam
Potential amendment to jobs bill would throw up roadblocks to fiscal 2010 and fiscal 2011 measures that include directed spending.
Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., wrote Monday to House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., in support of banning congressional earmarks for fiscal 2011.
"Unauthorized congressional earmarks continue to be a serious problem," Feingold wrote. "Just last year, the Omnibus Appropriations bill for fiscal 2009 passed in March contained more than eight thousand earmarks costing $7 billion."
His letter comes after the idea was brought up at a meeting of House Democratic leaders last week, a Democratic aide said, who added that Pelosi supports it.
Supporters of earmarks contend the targeted funds only make up a small part -- about 2 percent in fiscal 2009 -- of overall spending and that lawmakers have a constitutional right to direct funding.
Meanwhile, the Senate could vote on an anti-earmark proposal as soon as Tuesday, according to the office of Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., who has introduced an amendment to a $150 billion jobs and tax measure being considered by the Senate. The DeMint amendment creates a point of order against bills considered in fiscal 2010 and fiscal 2011 that include earmarks, which would require 60 votes to waive.