Tagged: earmarks

Senator Claire McCaskill says she is disappointed that a permanent ban on earmarks failed in the U.S. Senate Thursday.

The Missouri Democrat and a Republican colleague, Pat Toomey from Pennsylvania, attempted to attach the ban as an amendment to a bill outlawing insider trading by Congress. The attempt fell short of the 60 votes needed.

In a recorded statement provided by the Senator's office, McCaskill called earmarking a flawed process.

A report issued Monday by Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri concludes that US House members circumvented a ban on earmark spending more than 100 times. (read full report here)

House Republicans banned earmarks last fall for two years to curb government spending. But, McCaskill's report finds that the Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee used tricks to allow more than $800 million in earmarks be inserted in the 2012 Defense authorization bill.

Missouri's Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill introduced legislation Wednesday to put a permanent ban on earmarks, the legislative practice of funding specific projects.

Currently, there is a temporary ban on earmarks in place.

Speaking to reporters during a conference call this morning, McCaskill says projects need to compete on merit.