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Politics
Senators' pet projects now must be explained in the open in legislation
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published January 17, 2007
WASHINGTON - The Senate voted Tuesday to shine more light on thousands of expensive pet projects buried in legislation every year after the new Democratic majority bowed to a successful push by Republicans to make new disclosure rules even tougher than originally planned. The vote was 98-0 to require senators to reveal the water projects, hiking trails, defense contracts or tax breaks for specific industries they insert in legislation. That unanimity came five days after Democrats, holding a slim majority, were thwarted by a GOP-led rebellion in advancing their own version of "earmark" reform. Bringing transparency to earmarks is a major objective of the ethics and lobbying reform legislation the Senate has been debating since the new congressional session began. The Senate on Tuesday also approved, by voice vote, an amendment that would bar lawmakers from including earmarks in the classified parts of a bill or a conference report without language in unclassified terms describing the project, funding levels and the sponsor.
[Last modified January 17, 2007, 05:52:33]
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by Gilbert
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01/17/07 01:18 PM
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This is a smoke screen! The time that this was written, possibly-the-end-around has begun! Why are most Senators Lawyers or Doctors? I ask that you look for the definition of politician. We will be on the short again America.
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