PORKBUSTERS UPDATE: Another earmark moratorium fight?

House conservatives are renewing their fight to unilaterally ban earmarks for a year within the Republican Party. House GOP leadership has also renewed their own version of an earmark ban, but it’s woefully diluted — it is contingent on Democrats playing along. Frankly, that’s too little, too late.

But thanks to Jeb Hensarling, Jeff Flake, and the other RSC members who are pushing for an earmark ban now, I’m confident that we’ll see a moratorium before the election. I’ve been told that they have the votes needed (50) to receive a conference-wide vote. This will force leadership to make a decision they would rather avoid. But pragmatically, rank-and-file members shouldn’t sweat. Earmarking is a wonderful election issue. Voters of all stripes hate pork-barrel spending. And since the FY09 budget, which is the vehicle that contains most earmarks, will probably be pushed into next year, very little will be lost (I know, I know, this is an awful argument, but it works).

Not all Republicans are committed to rebuilding their brand of less government and more economic liberty, but a unilateral ban on earmarks would dramatically accelerate their path to redemption. They need to make the hard decision.

Indeed they do.