House Democratic leaders are mulling a moratorium on earmarks for FY09 spending bills, following GOP plans to offer a ban in a House budget resolution amendment during markup later this week. The ban would be in place for a year, or until the earmarking process can be reviewed. Last year, House Appropriations Chair Rep. David Obey (D-WI) was bedeviled by demands for earmark reform, acceding finally to a bipartisan agreement on procedure after months of confusion and vituperation. This year, Obey is circulating a Dear Colleague letter, asking members if they support a ban. Obey says he wants all members on the record on the issue, writing: I will assume that any member not returning this form [by March 19] wishes to see congressional earmarks discontinued and will therefore be submitting no requests for fiscal 2009.