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| Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev. gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009, to discuss President Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress. |
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate has approved 13 pet spending projects sought by a lobbying firm accused of funneling illegal campaign contributions to lawmakers. Senators voted 52-43 to preserve the so-called earmarks in a 1,000-page-plus catchall spending bill even though they were sought by the PMA Group, a lobbying firm that closed up shop after being raided by the FBI last year. They included money for high-tech firms and colleges in Pennsylvania.
PMA is accused of illegally using straw donors to funnel campaign cash to lawmakers.
Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn sponsored the anti-PMA amendment. But Nevada Democrat Harry Reid, the majority leader, says lawmakers, not lobbyists, are responsible for every earmark in the sprawling measure.
