Senate challenger Mike Lee criticizes Bennett for skipping earmark vote

SALT LAKE CITY — While all of Sen. Bob Bennett's GOP opponents criticize his use of earmarks, one is attacking Bennett for skipping a Senate vote this week on whether to ban all earmarks for this year and next.

"We need an open, honest debate about earmarks, and missing a vote on something that critical is inexcusable," Mike Lee said.

The Senate on Monday killed an amendment by Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., by an overwhelming 68-29 vote, with three senators absent. It would have put a moratorium on earmarks during 2010 and 2011. (Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, was among the minority who supported the legislation.)

Bennett's press secretary, Tara DiJulio, said Bennett was absent because "he was in Utah talking to local business leaders about how to save thousands of jobs in the state that will be eliminated unless the Obama administration's decision regarding the NASA budget is reversed."

That refers to efforts to reverse Obama's proposal to cancel the Constellation program to return to the moon and aim for Mars. Canceling it would cost an estimated 2,000 jobs at ATK in Utah and likely shutter its Promontory operations for rocket manufacturing and testing.

Bennett has used his fight to save Constellation as an example of why earmarks are important and unapologetically has said he may use earmarks to save Constellation.

He said if Congress does not direct where money should be spent through earmarks, it leaves all such decisions to the Obama administration.

Lee, however, said, "Earmarks are an unfortunate footprint from where the Republican Party took the wrong path," and added "true small-government conservatives" support putting on hold the "system that lends itself to abuse."

Earlier this month, all House Republicans put their own moratorium on accepting earmarks for next year.

A day before that action, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, independently said he would not seek earmarks in next year's spending bills. He also did not pursue any during his first year in Congress.

e-mail: lee@desnews.com