h/t to Ace for directing me to the Secret Hold Site. From there I went to the Library of Congress and spotted something interesting via Thomas. I'm assuming it's up to date.
ALL ACTIONS: 2/8/2006: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
So, who chairs that Committee? Trent Lott w/ Chris Dodd ranking member. Hasn't Lott's name come up as regards his opposition to controlling Pork before?
Yeah, I thought so.
In any event, wouldn't the Chair of the Committee where the bill appears to sit be a good place to start looking re the sooper secret hold?
As a former Senate staffer, I can assure you that ANY member can place a hold. It doesn't take the position of Rules Chairman to do it...
That being said, it may or may not be Lott.
Posted by: Fielding | Saturday, August 19, 2006 at 10:24 AM
Wow. That's extremely speculative. My guess would be that it's actually somebody on the Appropriations Committee. Doesn't that make sense? ...and remember, just because we know that someone has a hold on this bill, that doesn't mean that there aren't a dozen holds on the bill.
As for the validity of the "secret hold" itself, here's a link to an amendment (to lobby reform) to do away with the secret hold.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00078
Posted by: Zoltar the Great | Saturday, August 19, 2006 at 07:22 PM
Lott has a motive at least. Coburn spotted and blocked $500M in pork slated for Northrop Grumman in MS back in May. Lott may still be fuming.
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertDNovak/2006/05/15/corporate_pork-busting
Posted by: Brian | Sunday, August 20, 2006 at 12:03 AM