Senate Refuses To Strip Billions In Earmarks
by Bruce Alpert - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

WASHINGTON -- The Senate on Tuesday rejected a proposal by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that would have stripped almost $7.7 billion in congressional earmarks, including $332 million for Louisiana projects, from a catch-all spending bill.

McCain argued that in a period of growing deficits and major economic problems, now is not the time to spend on wasteful projects inserted at the request of congressional members.

But his amendment was rejected, 54-32, setting the stage for Senate approval of the $410 billion spending package, including earmarks, later this week. The House last week passed the bill, which combines spending from a dozen bills for the remainder of the 2009 fiscal year into a single measure.

Among the earmarks McCain cited as being "without justification" is $6.6 million for continued work by the Formosan Subterranean Termites Research Center in New Orleans.

"We'd welcome Sen. McCain to visit us," said research director Alan Lax, who said the center is making advances on a pest that causes major damage in the New Orleans area and communities elsewhere in the United States.

According to Taxpayers for Common Sense, Louisiana's two senators, Democrat Mary Landrieu and Republican David Vitter, rank fourth and sixth, respectively, among the 100 senators in landing earmarks for their states. Landrieu, mostly working in tandem with Vitter, secured $332 million for 177 projects, while Vitter, mostly through joint requests with Landrieu, brought in $249 million for 142 projects.

Vitter, who said he remains dedicated to fiscal restraint, also defended his Louisiana earmarks.

"I am proud to stand by my specific funding requests for critical transportation, law enforcement and hurricane recovery needs," Vitter said. "These represent serious Louisiana needs, which have not been met even as Congress has passed trillion dollar spending and bailout bills."