Changes

==110th Congress==

==110th Congress==

The Democrats in the House of Representatives had promised major reforms within the first 100 hours. One reform in particular was lobbying and ethics reform--a key plank in the Congressional Democrats fall campaign.  Democrats had vowed greater openess in the Congressional Appropriations process, and an end to so-called "earmarks", an appropriation designated to spend specific money on a specific project in a specific members district, sometimes designating a specific private business concern to whom the money is to be spent with. Several Republican members had been caught up in so-called earmark scandals, trading money for influence, and this was widely acredited as a key reason why the GOP had lost control of the House after a dozen years.  

The Democrats in the House of Representatives had promised major reforms within the first 100 hours. One reform in particular was lobbying and ethics reform--a key plank in the Congressional Democrats fall campaign.  Democrats had vowed greater openess in the Congressional Appropriations process, and an end to so-called "[[earmark]]s", an appropriation designated to spend specific money on a specific project in a specific members district, sometimes designating a specific private business concern to whom the money is to be spent with. Several Republican members had been caught up in so-called earmark scandals, trading money for influence, and this was widely acredited as a key reason why the GOP had lost control of the House after a dozen years.  

In the first five months of 2007 after the Democratic party took control of Congress, the majority party,

In the first five months of 2007 after the Democratic party took control of Congress, the majority party,