Senate Republican Leader Agrees to Ban Earmarks

Senate Republican Leader Agrees to Ban Earmarks  

Bowing to the will of a majority of his caucus, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell announced Monday that he would support a ban on earmarks that have come to be known as a “a symbol of the waste and the out-of-control spending” in Washington.

McConnell, who had resisted calls for the ban saying that it would leave President Obama in charge of spending money on state projects, said that abuse of the practice had led many Americans to view it as a boondoggle and every Republican in Washington determined to fight it.

“As the leader of my party in the Senate, I have to lead first by example,” McConnell, R-Ky., said from the floor of the Senate on the first day of its lame-duck session.

“Nearly every day that the Senate’s been in session for the past two years, I have come down to this very spot and said that Democrats are ignoring the wishes of the American people. When it comes to earmarks, I won’t be guilty of the same thing,” he said.

Full Story Here:
Senate Republican Leader Agrees to Ban Earmarks

With this move, Senator Mitch McConnell has made a place for himself in my heart.

I have always liked McConnell, but his recent opinions on earmarks has given me great pause, but this stand has restored my faith in him and makes me believe, there really IS hope for even the ‘old hands’ in the Senate and Congress.

I would suggest that Sen. McConnell expand on this a bit more, “When it comes to earmarks, I won’t be guilty of the same thing,” to say he won’t stand with the liberals against America. Not just on earmarks, but on ANY topic that affects the well-being of the American people.

The American people have truly sent a message to the Senate and House, and I just can’t seem to find the word ‘compromise’ in that message anywhere. Compromise is what got us in the mess we’re in to begin with. GOP Senators and Congressmen have allowed the likes of Hussein Obama to push through a health care bill and financial bailouts that the vast majority of Americans did not want nor support.

The same Congressmen and Senators allowed George W. Bush to enact TARP, the Bush bailout plan. They allowed him to take this nation to war in Iraq. It’s about time Senators actually listened to We, The People.

But in breakout sessions organized by Tea Party favorites Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., Reps. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., and Mike Pence, R-Ind., new congressmen-elect joined with Tea Party-backed Americans for Prosperity in calling for a two-year moratorium on earmarks.

“Everything has changed” on Capitol Hill, DeMint said, noting that the temporary ban, which would save about $38 billion per year based on recent allocations, is “just the beginning.”

“2012 will make this look small,” DeMint said.

$38 billion isn’t ‘chump change’. It’s not enough to balance the budget, but it’s a start. And just out of curiosity, how much have the Dems been able to save this nation?

He later issued a statement saying that McConnell’s decision “demonstrates the kind of bold leadership our party needs.”

Bold leadership, coupled with a strong sense of America 1st and solid fiscal conservatism is just what this nation needs.

For almost 2 years we have suffered through the administration of Hussein Obama and his dream of socialization for the American people. Prior to that we were subjected to the less than stellar administration of George W. Bush.

It’s going to take bold leadership and hard work from the American people to overcome the damage done during 8 years of Bush and the damage incurred to date by Hussein Obama. We can only hope that this bold new leadership can stop the bleeding and begin to heal America, and set back up straight.

I hope they are up to the task.