From Tapscott’s Copy Desk:
Some of my Senate sources have gotten a copy of the 107 page “ethics and earmark reform” bill crafted by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
What they are finding in it confirms what I’ve suspected for months - Reid and Pelosi are for the most gutting concrete earmark and ethics reform while preserving just enough of the appearance of reform to be able to claim to have fulfilled their 2006 campaign promises.
Put another way - it’s all a charade. Here’s an initial list of changes found thus far in the text (and I expect much more to come later today):
The Senate-passed bill required committee and conference reports to list all earmarks, and required the chairman of the committee of jurisdiction to prepare and distribute the list of earmarks. However, the new bill allows the Majority Leader, not the Senate parliamentarian, to unilaterally decide whether or not a bill or conference report complies with the earmark disclosure requirements.
The Senate-passed bill prohibited the consideration of any bills, joint resolutions, etc. prior to the disclosure of earmarks. The new bill only prohibits a vote on a motion to proceed to these bills. Thus, under the language in the new bill, the Senate could merely proceed to a bill by consent in the middle of the night without being required to disclose all earmarks.
The Senate-passed bill prohibited the consideration of a conference report if it did not disclose all earmarks. The new bill only prohibits a vote on the adoption of the conference report if it does not list earmarks as required.
The Senate-passed bill prohibited the inclusion of an earmark based on a Member’s vote on a matter. The new bill eliminates that prohibition .
The Senate-passed bill prohibited Members from promoting earmarks that benefited them, their family, their staff, or their staff’s family. The new bill only prohibits earmarks that would “only” affect those parties. Under this new language, you would be able to earmark a new mansion for me as long as that mansion also increased the property value of my neighbors.
Porkbusters has a ton more!
UPDATE: Here’s why Reid, Pelosi did this deal in seret
Sen. Tom Coburn’s staff has gone through the Reid/Pelosi text and compared it to the previously approved earmark reform bill adopted unanimously by the Senate in January. They put the results of their examination in a handy chart:
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