When You're Spending $1.1 Trillion, What's a Few Billion Dollars More?

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Truly sickening.....

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http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46459.html

Senate leaders and top appropriators from both parties racked up more than $2.2 billion in earmarks in the massive omnibus spending bill that Democrats are pushing to enact in the final days of the 111th Congress.

According to a POLITICO analysis of an earmark database compiled by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) racked up $252 million, Majority Whip ####### Durbin (D-Ill.) snagged another $145 million, Democratic Conference Vice Chairman Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) scored another $217 million while Conference Secretary Patty Murray (D-Wash.) got $248 million.

They weren’t alone.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) earmarks totaled $113 million, Senate Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) got $92 million, Senate Policy Committee Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.) scored $65 million in earmarks and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (R-Texas) got another $110 million. Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) didn’t request any earmarks.

The biggest earmarker in the database was Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran, the top Republican on the Appropriations Committee who racked up $560 million, while the Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye earmarked $421 million in projects mostly to his home state of Hawaii.

Coburn, a staunch earmark foe, found that the newly unveiled omnibus bill includes 6,700 projects that cost $8.3 billion. The leaders’ ability to snag more than one-quarter of the total dollar amount is another sign that the most powerful lawmakers are often the most successful in securing funding for their states.

The total earmark amount represents a tiny fraction of the $1.1 trillion spending bill.

While critics say the money could be used to pay down the ballooning budget deficit, supporters say the money would be spent elsewhere by the executive branch, anyway. It would also usurp Congress’ constitutional authority to set spending priorities.

Supporters also say the money is essential for home-state projects like bridges, funding at military bases and upgrades of water treatment plants that would go otherwise ignored by federal agencies.

“You have to take everything on its own merits,” Cochran said Wednesday. “You need to have safeguards to make sure things are reviewed. … but as long as the committee gets its chance to work its will to report out bills, that’s their duty.”

But the Democrats’ decision to push forward an omnibus bill – which funds programs across the federal government through next September — has sparked outrage from Republican leaders, who say the majority party has ignored the will of voters concerned about dead-of-the-night bills and excessive government spending.

“Earmarks are a symptom of wasteful Washington spending that the American people have said they want reformed,” Cornyn said Wednesday. “We agree with them, and that's why we will vote against this bill.”

The omnibus bill has also put a number of Senate Republicans in the awkward position of defending their earmark requests while at the same time as attacking the bill as a sign of a government that is out-of-control. Following the Nov. 2 elections, Senate Republicans have vowed to swear off earmarks in the next Congress, but the requests included in the omnibus bill were made earlier this year.

Some Republicans now say they weren’t aware that their projects would be included in the omnibus bill – but at least one Republican was proactive on the issue.

Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch quietly sent Inouye and Cochran a Dec. 2 letter this month withdrawing his requests.

“Please don’t take offense but during this economically challenging time, Utahns and other Americans are tightening their belts and living within their means, and they expect me to see that their federal government follows suit,” Hatch said in a letter obtained by POLITICO. “As part of my resolve to bring fiscal discipline back to Washington, I have decided not to make earmark requests this year.”

[The_Dude 1,142]

It's a bit foolish to just stand on your soap box railing against congress for earmarks without any context. Requesting $100m for a policy center in your name is wasteful, but a $100m infrastructure expansion, not so much.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Where is the money going to be spent and on what? Of course this spending will all disappear in January when the GOP takes over. They have never wasted one cent.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

It's a bit foolish to just stand on your soap box railing against congress for earmarks without any context. Requesting $100m for a policy center in your name is wasteful, but a $100m infrastructure expansion, not so much.

There are proper channels to go through though for infrastructure spending. If the spending has merit, then it will be appropriated.

Where is the money going to be spent and on what? Of course this spending will all disappear in January when the GOP takes over. They have never wasted one cent.

If you read the article (which I doubt) you'd see that Republicans are requesting plenty of earmarks as well.

[The_Dude 1,142]

There are proper channels to go through though for infrastructure spending. If the spending has merit, then it will be appropriated.

If you read the article (which I doubt) you'd see that Republicans are requesting plenty of earmarks as well.

Yeah Paul, right, and wait yeard for approval. Sorry, there are some bill attachments that are justified. Yes, I did read the article, and I ask you to point out where I made any sort of reference to partisan politics. You are the one who brought that up.

I am against the practice of attaching a controversial amendment onto an essential bill to score cheap political points.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Yeah Paul, right, and wait yeard for approval. Sorry, there are some bill attachments that are justified. Yes, I did read the article, and I ask you to point out where I made any sort of reference to partisan politics. You are the one who brought that up.

I am against the practice of attaching a controversial amendment onto an essential bill to score cheap political points.

I was quoting spooky and referring to what he said....

[spookyturtle 9,465]

There are proper channels to go through though for infrastructure spending. If the spending has merit, then it will be appropriated.

If you read the article (which I doubt) you'd see that Republicans are requesting plenty of earmarks as well.

You always seem to imply that the GOP has all of the answers.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

You always seem to imply that the GOP has all of the answers.

if you inferred that from what I posted here, then you might want to get your thinking cap checked out.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

if you inferred that from what I posted here, then you might want to get your thinking cap checked out.

It's your history Paul. Or don't you read what you post?

[Obama 2012 1,714]

It's your history Paul. Or don't you read what you post?

I read what I post, but I attack government action and things they do.

I can't stand staunch liberalism and i can't stand right wing religious nuts.

If I liked the GOP, then I'd fit into the latter it would seem these days.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

I read what I post, but I attack government action and things they do.

I can't stand staunch liberalism and i can't stand right wing religious nuts.

If I liked the GOP, then I'd fit into the latter it would seem these days.

So you don't like the GOP either? I'm not a staunch supporter of either party because neither has all the answers regardless of what they think.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

So you don't like the GOP either? I'm not a staunch supporter of either party because neither has all the answers regardless of what they think.

How anyone could support either party after the spending messes they both take part in, is beyond me. How anyone could support right wing religious nuts like the Republican Party of Texas is beyond me as well...

I look at individuals, not party lines.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

How anyone could support either party after the spending messes they both take part in, is beyond me. How anyone could support right wing religious nuts like the Republican Party of Texas is beyond me as well...

I look at individuals, not party lines.

I vote for whoever I think is best qualified for the job, regardless of party.

[mawilson 2,133]

Yeah Paul, right, and wait years for approval.

Yes, and wait years for approval, if need be.

[Pooky 3,783]

Bunch of self-serving weasels, the lot of them