Reid to Obama: Let us keep earmarks
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid wants the White House to tread lightly on earmarks, saying that any push by the Obama administration to clamp down on pet projects would be met with strong opposition from congressional leaders.
"We cannot let spending be done by a bunch of nameless, faceless bureaucrats," Reid said, arguing that lawmakers are much more in tune with federal money needs for their states than agencies in Washington.
Reid's comments came as he and Democratic leaders vowed swift action on Obama's agenda.
In comments to reporters Wednesday morning, Reid also blamed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for forcing Congress to jack up spending for congressional operations in the massive omnibus spending bill. Reid said that even though Republicans lost big in the 2008 elections, McConnell insisted that they maintain their staff levels, forcing about a 10-percent hike in funding for the legislative branch, whose budget totals some $4.4 billion.
"You should direct that question to Senator McConnell because we had trouble organizing this year,” Reid said, referring to a resolution the Senate must pass to formally organize for the new Congress. “He wanted to maintain a lot of their staffing even though they had lost huge numbers. And the only way we could get it done is to do what we did. So you should direct that question to Senator McConnell."
A GOP leadership aide said that Republican staff “aren’t getting a dime” more than they did last year. The aide also said that a $116 million-increase for the architect of the Capitol was more to blame for the increase in the cost of running Congress.
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We here's a big surprise! 44, stand up to these people, you said you are about change...make some GD change. Cut the deficit by the end of your first term? You don't lay down the law right now, you'll be eating those words. One party government worked wonders for the Bush enonomy, didn't it?
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