Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) introduced a bill yesterday -- called the "Pork Barrel Reduction Act" -- meant to crack down on the use of earmarks in appropriation bills and conference reports. The bill would allow senators to oppose earmarks by raising a point of order. Senate rules require 60 votes to waive a point of order, and if one is waived the earmark would stay in the bill or conference report. The bill is being co-sponsored by Sens. Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Evan Bayh (D-IN), and it would also:

• require conference reports to be filed and available publicly for at least 48 hours before being considered on the Senate floor;
• require disclosure of earmarks, including the identity of the lawmaker seeking the earmark and the earmark's "essential government purpose;"
• require recipients of earmark funding to disclose the amount of money they spent on registered lobbyists to obtain the earmark;
• prohibit federal agencies from spending money on items and earmarks that are included only in conference reports; and
• strengthen Senate rules against the inclusion in conference reports of matters not considered by either the House or Senate. Current Senate rules allow a point of order against reports with new matter but many items get through when they are attached to "must pass" bills that can overcome the point of order.