Senators voted 64-28 to add the amendment to a bill making technical corrections to the 2005 highway bill, despite opposition from Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who on Thursday said the House ethics committee, and not Justice, should investigate the matter.

“I think that’s something the ethics committee should look at,” Pelosi told reporters.

The $10 million earmark for the Coconut Road interchange in Florida was placed in the massive 2005 highway bill after the House and Senate passed the bill but before it reached the president’s desk. The original language called only for improving and widening Interstate 75 in Ft. Myers, Fla.

The measure calling for the Justice investigation was sponsored by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.). Asked about that proposal, Pelosi said: “We have an ethics committee.”

Senate Democrats To Force Supermajority Vote on Coconut Road Investigation

After claiming that an investigation into the Coconut Road earmark was needed, Senate Democrats have set a supermajority threshold (60 votes) to require an investigation.

In addition, it appears that the lengthy delay between the debate and the vote is not coincidental as a number of sources indicate that Democrat leaders have been making “threatening” calls to Senate offices warning that a vote for the Coburn amendment would kill the underlying bill, which is tucked full of election-year earmarks.

Less than two years ago, Democrats promised to “drain the swamp” and “break the link between lobbyists and legislation” if given control of Congress. It appears that the new majority has instead made “the swamp” a protected wetlands for politicians, lobbyists, and campaign contributors.