Senator Coburn's Amendment: A small victory against pork

An interesting development in a week where the blogsphere's attention has started to be directed towards pork barrel spending.

Freshman Senator Coburn (see: Senator Tom Coburn has some nerve) proposed amendment S.Amdt. 1775 this week to H.R.2744 ( Making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, and for other purposes).

The purpose of the amendment as written is:

To require that any limitation, directive, or earmarking contained in either the House of Representatives or Senate report accompanying this bill be included in the conference report or joint statement accompanying the bill in order to be considered as having been approved by both House of Congress.

According to Human Events, this is a positive development against pork barrel spending:

Thursday, September 22, 2005: Coburn Slaughters Pork: Sen. Tom Coburn’s (R.-Okla.) amendment to block pork from being stuffed into the Agriculture Appropriations bill passed the Senate 55 to 39. Coburn’s amendment ends former procedures that automatically approved earmarks for special projects in the House version of an appropriations bill. Now, any limitation, directive or earmark must be included in the bill’s conference report. This will subject all projects to a Senate vote and promote transparency in government spending.

"Just three months ago the same amendment failed, 59-33."

Which Senators voted against this amendment?:

• Allard (R-CO)
• Baucus (D-MT)
• Bennett (R-UT)
• Bond (R-MO)
• Bunning (R-KY)
• Byrd (D-WV)
• Carper (D-DE)
• Chambliss (R-GA)
• Cochran (R-MS)
• Coleman (R-MN)
• Conrad (D-ND)
• DeWine (R-OH)
• Dole (R-NC)
• Dorgan (D-ND)
• Durbin (D-IL)
• Frist (R-TN)
• Grassley (R-IA)
• Gregg (R-NH)
• Hagel (R-NE)
• Harkin (D-IA)
• Hatch (R-UT)
• Hutchison (R-TX)
• Jeffords (I-VT)
• Johnson (D-SD)
• Kennedy (D-MA)
• Lautenberg (D-NJ)
• Leahy (D-VT)
• Lincoln (D-AR)
• Lott (R-MS)
• Murray (D-WA)
• Pryor (D-AR)
• Reed (D-RI)
• Reid (D-NV)
• Sarbanes (D-MD)
• Shelby (R-AL)
• Smith (R-OR)
• Stevens (R-AK)
• Thune (R-SD)
• Vitter (R-LA)

21 Republicans, 17 Democrats and 1 Independent.

Update: Senate OK's Coburn Measure to Shine Light on Pork; Now House, Bush Approval Needed to Become Law