Senator Lindsey Graham has been using Donald Trump to sell skeptical Republican Senate comrades in regaining their marks.
Why it’s important: Both sides swore by member-led spending a decade ago, saying it too often led to corruption. Democrats are picking it up this year, House Republicans agree, though Senate Republicans remain the latest attacks.
- Graham told colleagues last week that “the country’s top Republican, Trump, supports the cards, and why not?”
- South Carolina called on the former president and Republican leader in exile as the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee held a closed-door meeting to discuss the way forward for government spending.
- A fountain in the Capitol room paraphrased Graham’s argument.
In a phone interview with Axios on Monday evening, Graham confirmed that he had presented a compelling case to his colleagues.
- “Democrats do it; if we don’t, we’re stupid,” Graham said.
- He said Democrats will gain political advantages if they can direct money to competitive states while their counterparts cannot. “We shouldn’t just be out of the game.”
- Graham does not buy the two main arguments against the assignments: that corruption is inevitable or that they inherently lead to more government spending.
- Transparency in the process can protect against corruption, he said. And stopping allocations did not lead to a reduction in spending.
Proponents have argued that the recommendations are encouraging do bipartisan business, as members of both parties invest in legislation when it contains expenditures specifically targeted at their individual districts.
- They also argue that their past abuses can be prevented with public disclosure of assignments, a ban on directing them to private companies, and a limit on their size.
Between lines: Graham made his comments as members of the Appropriations Committee discussed the directions and the fact that the other three corners of Capitol Hill had illuminated the practice.
- Graham acknowledged the resistance of Republicans in the Senate, but noted that House Republicans had also been vehemently public critics, until they supported member-directed spending in a secret ballot.
What we are seeing: Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, the top Republican in allocations, told Axios that reversing House Republicans “helps create the momentum” to get Senate appropriations approved.
- He and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chair of the committee, “talk about it; we’re friends,” adding, “I think we have a constitutional right … to control money, Congress does.”
The big picture: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has publicly questioned whether his conference will recoup its resources.
- Last month, in a special Fox News report, host Bret Baier noted that under President George W. Bush, McConnell was an advocate for allocations, and asked if it made sense to “restore spending authority. which went essentially to the executive branch. “
- McConnell responded, “I represent the entire conference” and that the “overwhelming majority … is not in favor of returning to assignments.”
What follows: A Senate leadership source said the issue on the main issues will not be resolved until next month.
- This will be “almost certain” at a special meeting of the Republican Party conference and, by secret ballot, if a vote is requested.