The Senate will soon follow the House in passing a $636.3 billion Fiscal Year 2010 defense appropriations bill, the government’s largest spending bill. The legislation contains 1,720 earmarks worth $4.2 billion, 17 percent less in number and 14 percent less in value from last year (remember that this is only disclosed earmarks: Major additions such as the $2.5 billion for 10 more C-17 Globemaster cargo planes are not included). ( note the US Airforce as indicated on more than one occasion they DO NOT NEED any more C-17's)
The big:
$23 million for the Hawaii Healthcare Network sponsored by Senate Appropriations Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI);
$20 million for the National World War II museum in New Orleans from Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and David Vitter (R-LA) plus Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao (R-LA);
$20 million for Humvee maintenance at an Army National Guard installation in Maine sponsored by Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME).
1,720 earmarks in final defense spending bill | SmallGovTimes.com
But there was GOP discontent over the Democratic decision to use the bill as the engine to carry several short-term extensions of programs set to expire because of the failure of Congress to deal with them separately.
Those include two-month extensions of unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless, health care subsidies for those out of work, highway and transit funding, three provisions of the anti-terror USA Patriot Act and legislation shielding doctors from a steep cut in Medicare payments.
“The Democratic leadership in both the House and Senate held this bill for the troops captive,” said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. “They knew that at the end of the year, they would stuff unrelated, must-pass legislation, which has nothing to do with the Department of Defense, or the men and women in the military … so they could get it passed.”
Senate to vote on $626 billion spending bill that covers defense, unemployment and more
Perhaps it had less to do with defense needs and more to do with stuffing a defense bill with domestic spending.
The big:
$23 million for the Hawaii Healthcare Network sponsored by Senate Appropriations Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI);
$20 million for the National World War II museum in New Orleans from Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and David Vitter (R-LA) plus Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao (R-LA);
$20 million for Humvee maintenance at an Army National Guard installation in Maine sponsored by Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME).
1,720 earmarks in final defense spending bill | SmallGovTimes.com
But there was GOP discontent over the Democratic decision to use the bill as the engine to carry several short-term extensions of programs set to expire because of the failure of Congress to deal with them separately.
Those include two-month extensions of unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless, health care subsidies for those out of work, highway and transit funding, three provisions of the anti-terror USA Patriot Act and legislation shielding doctors from a steep cut in Medicare payments.
“The Democratic leadership in both the House and Senate held this bill for the troops captive,” said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. “They knew that at the end of the year, they would stuff unrelated, must-pass legislation, which has nothing to do with the Department of Defense, or the men and women in the military … so they could get it passed.”
Senate to vote on $626 billion spending bill that covers defense, unemployment and more
Perhaps it had less to do with defense needs and more to do with stuffing a defense bill with domestic spending.
....i avg 12-13 and it seems like im here all afternoon.....
