Daniel Inouye: “We should keep in mind that there are no earmarks in this bill before the Senate. Therefore, this amendment is not…”

“We should keep in mind that there are no earmarks in this bill before the Senate. Therefore, this amendment is not relevant. No. 2, we should keep in mind the Constitution gives the power of the purse to the Congress, and it is our job to use this power responsibly. We have already put procedures in place to make the process transparent and to hold Members accountable for their spending decisions. But most importantly, we should keep in mind that if an item has not been authorized by September 1, 2009, and it is moneys that had been appropriated, that money is taken out. Keep in mind that, as of this moment, the Intelligence Committee has not had authorization bills for the last 3 years. The same goes for many other committees.”