Democrats To Face GOP Charges

House and Senate Republicans this week are planning to attack Democratic leaders for pushing pork spending projects and higher taxes.

The effort kicks off today in the Senate where Republican Conference Chairman Sen. Jon Kyl plans to blast a tax provision in the energy bill that would target Big Oil. In a statement provided in advance to the Bulletin and U.S. News, Kyl says that the tax package unveiled by the Senate Finance Committee will discourage domestic energy production.

"The tax package will raise taxes on domestic oil and gas production by billions of dollars over the next 10 years, increasing our nation's dependence on foreign oil companies--many of them from hostile countries," he says. "Thanks to these tax hikes, the energy bill will not only not move us closer to energy security; it will actually move us farther away," he adds.

Meanwhile in the House, fiscal conservatives in the Republican Study Committee are planning to rap Democratic spending bills which the Republicans claim are riddled with pork projects. Part of the RSC effort this week on the House floor will be to demonstrate that there are enough votes against new spending to support the vetoes promised by President Bush in his Saturday radio address.

That will be backed up with a letter RSC Chairman Rep. Jeb Hensarling will deliver to the White House later this week pledging the support of 147 House members to back a spending veto. The spending showdown comes on the heels of the Republican Study Committee's successful bid last week to push Democrats to make earmarks transparent.