The honeymoon is over for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and his GOP colleagues.
Less than two weeks after Election Day, conservatives are turning up the heat on establishment Republicans to support a two-year timeout from earmarks.
With a crucial vote on an earmark moratorium Tuesday, a handful of grassroots organizations are targeting Republicans senators. It began yesterday when Taxpayers Against Earmarks asked supporters to contact GOP senators. It currently lists 13 moratorium supporters; 24 are needed.
This morning the influential Americans for Prosperity announced it was organizing an event at the U.S. Capitol on Monday specifically to call attention to the earmark moratorium. Unlike most of AFP’s action alerts, this one asks its activists to contact McConnell.
“Normally, we urge folks to only contact their member of the House or Senate,” wrote AFP President Tim Phillips. “But, this pork-barrel earmark moratorium is a huge first test for the Senate Republicans so we think it’s important to the Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell to hear from conservatives like you across the nation.”
In the aftermath of Election Day, McConnell has declined to endorse a temporary moratorium. Last March, however, he was one of 25 Republicans — a majority of the GOP caucus — to support the proposal.
The moratorium needs 24 votes to pass. The vote will be conducted by secret ballot in a closed-door meeting Tuesday. So far 13 Republican senators have declared their support.
McConnell’s lack of support has emboldened others to speak out in favor of earmarks. Most notably Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) has waged attacks against earmark critics.
While supporters face an uphill battle without the GOP leader on board, they won’t go down without a fight.
Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), who has sponsored the proposal with 12 other GOP colleagues, is using his Senate Conservatives Fund list to gin up support. Meanwhile, other groups, including Citizens Against Government Waste, Club for Growth, National Taxpayers Union and Taxpayers for Common Sense, are also getting into the mix.
Failure to adopt the two-year timeout — a move House Republicans are expected to do without opposition — would send a stunning message to Tea Party activists and grassroots conservatives who are fed up with spending.
Earmarks, while representing a small portion of the federal budget, are among the most egregious examples of waste. They often fund parochial projects. In recent years, they have also been linked to corruption as lawmakers return favors to campaign contributors.
DeMint, who also sponsored the moratorium in March, boasts an impressive list of new senators: Kelly Ayotte (N.H.), Ron Johnson (Wis), Mike Lee (Utah), Rand Paul (Ky.), Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Pat Toomey (Pa.). He’s also secured the backing of Sens. Richard Burr (N.C.), Tom Coburn (Okla.), John Cornyn (Tex.), John Ensign (Nev.), Mike Enzi (Wyo.) and Jeff Sessions (Ala.).
Cornyn, a member of McConnell’s leadership team, is particularly telling. None of the other GOP leaders — Whip Jon Kyl (Ariz.), Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), Vice Chairman John Barrasso (Wyo.) and Policy Chairman John Thune (S.D.) — have stated their position.
Rob Bluey directs the Center for Media and Public Policy at The Heritage Foundation.
