Sen. Tester targets eight-year-old earmark

“Just last night Jon Tester voted against a balanced budget amendment so it’s a little hard to take him seriously when it comes to fiscal matters,” Rehberg spokesman Jed Link said in a statement. “That said, for someone who flat out rejected our earmark ban because he didn’t think it would save any money, I’m glad the Senator is finally heading in the right direction. If he can introduce and pass 2,595,156 more bills just like this one, we could balance the budget.”

Tester and Rehberg have already traded attacks over earmarks, with the two parting ways in the recent debate over an outright earmark ban.

“This is a holdover from the era of earmarks with no accountability, and Montanans deserve better than letting unwanted, unused funding go to waste,” Tester said in a statement. “The folks in Evergreen are trying to do the right thing, and I’m proud to team up with them to help pay down the national debt.”  

Late last year, Rehberg repeatedly hit Tester for his vote against banning earmarks in the Senate, accusing the Democrat of shifting his stance on the practice.

The Republican, whose name was attached to millions in earmarks for fiscal year 2010, has sworn off the earmark process and supported a full ban. Rehberg hasn’t requested a single earmark for FY 2011 and said he has no intention of requesting any in the future. 

Tester has defended the practice, arguing that the problem with earmarks is the lack of transparency inherent in the process. On his Senate website, Tester lists every earmark he has requested during his first term in the Senate. 

Republicans see Montana as a top pick-up opportunity next year, and Rehberg begins the race with a slight edge. A Republican poll from earlier this month gave the congressman a 47 percent to 44 percent lead over the incumbent. 

-Updated at 9:02 p.m.