Senate Republicans to back moratorium on earmarks

WASHINGTON - Newly invigorated Senate Republicans are expected to take a small but symbolic step today to show that they're serious about curbing spending, when they formally back a moratorium on "earmarks," the thousands of local projects stuffed into legislation that add up to billions of federal dollars.

With a fresh boost yesterday from GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who previously had been skeptical of such a ban, Senate Republicans are expected to endorse barring the practice. Republicans in the House of Representatives also plan to vote on a ban later this week.

Earmarks, usually inserted into legislation by lawmakers for bridges, buildings and other pet projects back home, accounted for $15.9 billion of the federal budget in fiscal 2010, which ended on Sept. 30. That was less than 1 percent of all federal spending and would have put barely a nick in last year's $1.29 trillion deficit.

Still, earmarks have become symbolic to many of the fiscal indiscipline of Congress, and the GOP push to ban them holds political significance for that reason, especially now, two weeks after an election when voters resoundingly said they want less, and more responsible, spending.

Democrats have been reluctant to back a moratorium, despite a call Saturday from President Barack Obama to revamp the earmark process. He stopped short of calling for a ban.

"It's a good-government issue more than a fiscal one," said Robert Bixby, executive director of the Concord Coalition, a nonpartisan budget watchdog group.

McConnell seconded that view. "I don't apologize for them," he said in a Senate floor speech. "But there is simply no doubt that the abuse of this practice has caused Americans to view it as a symbol of the waste and the out-of-control spending that every Republican in Washington is determined to fight.

"Unless people like me show the American people that we're willing to follow through on small or even symbolic things," he said, "we risk losing them on our broader efforts to cut spending and rein in government."

The Senate Democratic leader disagrees.

"Senator [Harry] Reid makes no apologies for delivering for the people of Nevada. He will always fight to ensure the state's needs are met," said his spokeswoman, Regan Lachapelle.