A bipartisan group of 10 senators led by John McCain, R-Ariz., on Thursday announced they were introducing legislation designed to curb the use of earmarks in spending bills.
Their measure, backed by eight Republicans and Democrats Russ Feingold of Wisconsin and Evan Bayh of Indiana, would allow senators to raise a point of order against unauthorized appropriations earmarks. Sixty votes would be needed to overcome the point of order and keep the earmarks in a spending bill.
John Ensign, R-Nev., said ongoing lobbying and influence-peddling scandals had provided an opportunity to overhaul the earmarking process in Congress. “There are times, I think in political life, that you have opportunities to do things, and I think that we are at such a time right now,” he said.