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Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Much Ado-Nothing on Earmark Legislation in House?
Remember earlier this year when the Abramoff scandal spawned urgent bipartisan calls for lobby and earmark reform legislation? Might wanna get ready to throw that, along with reinstatement of PAYGO rules and a minimum wage increase, in the tax-and-budget Do-Nothing congressional trash can.
House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) seems happy to focus attention on Section 527 reform -- the poison pill in the main lobbying reform bills before Congress (H.R. 4975 and S. 2349). Says BNA (subscription req'd) today: "House leaders want to include limits on Section 527 [non-party political spending] groups in a reform bill, while Senate leaders say such a provision is too controversial and would sink the bill."
Boehner, asked when he might drop broad lobbying reform and turn to a stand-alone House rule resolution making earmarks more transparent, said "any time soon." Sounds like a firm commitment.
Almost as firm as his July 26 pronouncement with House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL):
"… by the time we return from our August district work period in September, the House will move to immediately [emphasis added] adopt and implement a comprehensive earmark reform rules change independent of the ongoing lobbying and ethics reform discussion."
According to Congressional Quarterly (subscription req'd), Boehner changed his tune yesterday, saying that "he had never promised to take up the earmarks resolution immediately upon Congress' return from the recess, but that it remains a top priority."
Does 2007 sound like soon enough?
Posted by Dana Chasin
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