[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 28 (Wednesday, February 11, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2126-S2127]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            VOTE EXPLANATION

  Mr. VOINOVICH. Mr. President, I rise today to speak in regards to a 
recent rollcall vote held in the Senate. On February 5, 2009, the 
Senate voted 32 to 65 on Senate amendment No. 140, which was offered by 
the junior Senator from Wisconsin. Due to an inadvertent error, I 
recorded my support for this amendment. I would like to take a few 
moments to clarify my views regarding this amendment.
  As my colleagues know, this amendment would have allowed a point of 
order to be raised against congressionally directed spending for 
programs whose authorization has lapsed. This amendment would have 
hamstrung the Senate in the exercise of its constitutionally delegated 
``power of the purse.'' Procedures already exist for Senators to strike 
provisions of bills they find objectionable, including language in 
appropriation bills. For example, Members may offer amendments to 
strike or amend such provisions as they deem appropriate. In addition, 
as my friend, the senior Senator from Hawaii, has pointed out, this 
amendment would have exempted funding requests for unauthorized 
programs included in the President's budget request from this so-called 
``earmark point of order.'' In effect, this would have allowed 
unelected bureaucrats the ability to request funding for programs whose 
authorization has lapsed while denying elected and accountable members 
of the Senate from doing likewise.

[[Page S2127]]

Finally, important programs like the ones that could be affected by 
this point of order should not be penalized by Congress's inability to 
enact authorization bills in a timely fashion.
  Together, the distinguished chairman and ranking member of the Senate 
Committee on Appropriations are taking steps to provide for 
unprecedented levels of transparency in the appropriations process. As 
a new member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, I look forward 
to working with my colleagues to address the pressing issues that will 
come before the committee, and I appreciate the opportunity to clarify 
my views on this issue.

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