Following up on this post, I have learned that the new CRS report on earmarks is here. See also this press release on the CRS report and this press release issued today, “Senators Send Bipartisan Letter Urging the President to Ignore Non-Legislative Earmarks.” It begins: “Today, U.S. Senators Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), and Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) sent a letter to President George W. Bush, urging him to utilize his authority to stop wasteful earmarks written into committee reports and managers statements, but not in the text of legislation. A Congressional Research Service (CRS) report released this week concluded that over 95% of the Fiscal Year 2006 earmarks are not legally binding. ”
Comment below the fold

Demorep1 wrote:

How many millions of pages will there be in the U.S. Statutes at Large each year if every earmark must be listed in detail ?
OR — How lunatic has the U.S. government become in its legislative branch versus executive branch powermad struggles ?