by Nicholas Beaudrot of Electoral Math
Via Brad DeLong, Rules of Order for the 110th House [emphasis mine]:
It shall not be in order to consider—a bill or joint resolution ... unless the report includes a list of congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, and limited tariff benefits in the bill or in the report (and the name of any Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner who submitted a request to the committee for each respective item included in such list).
In addition to the return of PAYGO requirements, this shows that the House means business. Congressional watchdogs will be able to go into the '08 elections knowing the 10 Congressmen who asked for the most pork in the 110th Congress. Importantly, the House rules go beyond Congressional Earmarks and cover 'tax pork': the creation of deductions or loopholes that in practice benefit a handful of individuals or companies (like, say, the elimination of the excise tax on fishing tackle boxes, which needed to be eliminated because ... well, because the chief manufacturer of fishing tackle boxes is in Denny Hastert's district). Now, under House Calvinball Rules, anything goes, but this is a strong statement that the Democratic House means business when it comes to cutting back on pork and closing loopholes in the tax code.
