How about the battle lines in this political fight? President Obama, Governor Brian Schweitzer (D-MT), US Senate Republicans, and Montana’s sole Republican in Congress- Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT)- are all supporting a ban on earmarks. Who does that leave out? Senate Democrats: including Montana Senators Jon Tester and Max Baucus.
Thursday, the GOP controlled US House passed a ban on earmark spending. Congressman Denny Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, voted in support of the ban. and took advantage of the opportunity to offer a direct challenge to his fellow delegation members.
In a prepared statement, Rehberg had this to say:
“Senate Democrats may be the last 53 people in the country who haven’t noticed the old spending games won’t fly anymore,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “Last year, I joined House Republicans in a voluntary earmark moratorium. Now Democratic President Obama and Governor Schweitzer are hailing the foresight of this leadership and urging their Party allies to fall in line. Earmarks are headed toward extinction. It’s high time for Senate Democrats to heed the voice of the American voter.”
He then followed up with a letter, included in full below, to Montana’s Senators, calling on them to also support the earmark ban.
As you know, the culture of spending in Washington, D.C. is broken and our mutual bosses in Montana have joined Americans from around the country in sending a clear message: we simply can’t afford to continue the practice of earmarks.
I got the message last year, which is why I supported a unilateral, voluntary moratorium on earmarks and demanded that those savings be used to pay down the debt. The President finally appears to have heard the message too, lending his support to our efforts. Even in the Senate, Republicans have voted to forgo earmarks. That leaves you and Senate Democrats as the final holdouts of an antiquated spending culture where elected officials fight to spend more and more tax dollars.
This certainly puts Senator Tester in a unique position. You may recall the video below from Senator Tester’s first campaign for the US Senate. That’s where he stated that he is “opposed to earmarks, period.” Count that as one campaign pledge quickly shoved to the sidelines.
Oddly enough, someone just alerted me to a new Facebook page titled “Montana Needs Denny Rehberg for U.S. Senate.” The contact who sent it to me wanted me to know that he was not the creator of the page.
UPDATE: The Daines Campaign released this
Steve Daines called on Jon Tester to stand with Montana, not Harry Reid, and join the moratorium on earmarks adopted by the Republican Caucus today.
“People across Montana and our country stood up on November 2nd and demanded an end to out of control spending,” said Daines. “We will not reform spending until we reform the corrupt process of back slapping, and special favors that is the earmark process in Washington. I pledge to support a ban on earmarks if elected as Montana’s United State Senator.”
“In, 2008 Jon Tester followed lock step with Harry Reid and against reforming Washington, in 2010, he chose to hobnob with lobbyist rather than stand with Montanan’s. Today, I am asking Jon Tester to listen to Montanans and pledge to put a halt to the corrupt earmark process.”
“Earmarks are a symptom of a larger disease…a corrupted process where politicians place their own self-preservation ahead of serving the people who elected them in the first place.”
FULL LETTER FROM REHBERG TO BAUCUS AND TESTER
Dear Senators Baucus and Tester,
Thank you for your hard work on behalf of Montana and America. I’ve traveled all 56 counties, holding over 75 public listening sessions this term and everyday I’m reminded how truly honored we are to be serving such a wonderful state.
As you know, the culture of spending in Washington, D.C. is broken and our mutual bosses in Montana have joined Americans from around the country in sending a clear message: we simply can’t afford to continue the practice of earmarks.
I got the message last year, which is why I supported a unilateral, voluntary moratorium on earmarks and demanded that those savings be used to pay down the debt. The President finally appears to have heard the message too, lending his support to our efforts. Even in the Senate, Republicans have voted to forgo earmarks. That leaves you and Senate Democrats as the final holdouts of an antiquated spending culture where elected officials fight to spend more and more tax dollars. Instead of spending more time finding new ways to earmark more spending, it’s time for Congress to get serious about finding ways to trim the fat and tighten the belt.
In the last fiscal year alone, earmarks accounted for $16.5 billion in federal spending. Beyond the staggering dollar amounts, earmarks represent the culture of spending that has led to record deficits and debts that are literally costing us our future. The inclusion of pet projects create incentives to vote for and pass bloated spending bills that don’t otherwise pass the smell test.
We all know there are projects that are worthy of federal funding. If, for example, a project has been debated, passed by the House and Senate and signed by the President, it ought to be included in the budget and funded. In those cases, which represent how the process should work, an earmark isn’t necessary.
The priority right now must be finding ways to save money, not finding new ways to spend it. As you know, I offered many amendments to appropriations bills this year in an effort trim spending. I’m going to keep fighting for the spending reform Montanans have demanded by reducing budgets and forcing federal agencies to justify every dime they spend. I’m also going to continue to fight to push a Constitutional Amendment requiring a balanced budget. If a balanced budget requirement is good enough for Montana, it ought to be good enough for Congress.
I’m writing to ask you to join me in these efforts on behalf of Montanans. I know you’ve heard their frustrations just as I did at 75 public listening sessions in the last two years. I encourage you to conduct an email and web-based survey, as I have, asking Montanans if they support continued earmarks. I suspect that your results will closely mirror mine, with a vast majority of the respondents supporting a ban on earmarks. Additionally, Governor Schweitzer recently announced his support for efforts to suspend earmarks, aptly referring to them as “a way to bribe people with their own money.”
America is fed up with business as usual in Washington, D.C. and with the support of Montanans, I intend to lead the charge for true reform. As the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee respectively, I’m asking you to join me in this effort. Working together as a delegation we can send a strong message to the big spenders that Montanans are serious about controlling government spending. Thanks again for all you do.