WASHINGTON — Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., is pushing to remove what he describes as an earmark from a pending highway bill.
"It's a matter of trust," Johanns said. "The president said he would not sign any legislation containing an earmark, and Congress has promised the American people a highway bill without earmarks. I won't break that promise."
The provisions in question would take unspent funds from a Nevada project and simply turn them over to that state, Johanns said.
Johanns introduced an amendment to strip that part of the bill, saying it qualifies as an earmark.
Kristen Orthman, a spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said in response to Johanns’ amendment: “There is no new spending in this provision, which provides Nevada with additional flexibility and supports more than 1,500 jobs in a state that has the highest unemployment rate in the country.”
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