Seeking to find a conservative angle to take on surging Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney on Thursday repeated his call for Congress to permanently end pork-barrel spending through earmarks.
“Passing a permanent ban on earmarks is an important step toward securing our future and restoring fiscal sanity in Washington,” Mr. Romney said.
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The issue is percolating on Capitol Hill right now. Congress is acting under a temporary halt right now, but some Republicans and a few Democrats are trying to push through a permanent ban.
Such an amendment failed last week in the Senate, garnering just just 40 votes, or well-shy of the 60 needed to pass major changes in the chamber.
Mr. Romney argues that earmarks are a symbol of Washington spending, and he ties that practice to Mr. Santorum and Newt Gingrich — the latter of whom oversaw an expansion of the process when Republicans took control of Congress in 1995.
Mr. Santorum, who served two terms in the Senate, was a defender of earmarks during his time in Congress. But he says the process was abused and he now supports a moratorium.
He also says Massachusetts regularly requested earmarks during Mr. Romney’s term as governor.
