Republicans Give Up Pork

Senate Republicans have agreed not to use earmarks, the bacon delivery system favored by many a senator. It’s a party decision, but there’s movement for a floor vote banning earmarks altogether, and the White House and some Democrats are on board.

Los Angeles Times:

Supporters of the earmark ban now will push for a full Senate floor vote and a promise from President Obama to veto any spending bill containing earmarks.

“It’s a great first step,” said incoming Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. “We said we wanted to come up here and be an alternative to the direction that the president and the Democratic leadership were taking our country, and this is the first step towards putting our money literally where our mouth is.”

Earmarks represent spending targeted at particular projects sought by lawmakers and are popular for their political appeal. But they also have become a symbol of excessive spending and government waste.

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