Congress loads up $20 billion in pork
Congress loads up $20 billion in pork
WASHINGTON - Congress has loaded up President Bush's request for "emergency" spending on the Iraq war with more than $20 billion in "pork" for members' districts.
Money for peanut storage in Georgia, menha spinach growers in California, menhaden in the Atlantic Ocean and even more office space for the lawmakers themselves is included in what has ballooned into a $124 billion war bill.
"This emergency supplemental bill has more ornaments hanging over our many branches of government than the White House Christmas tree," Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., said.
Originally, Bush asked for $105 billion in emergency funding. Democratic leaders say they want to grant the request to continue funding the war despite their desire to end it.
"We have provided all of the money the president requested- and more," boasted House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer.
That includes $74 million for peanut storage, $25 million for spinach growers and $100 million for citrus growers.
It also includes $16 million to convert the old Food and Drug Administration building in southwest D.C. into more office space for the Capitol. That "emergency" expenditure comes at a time when taxpayers already shell out $600 million "more than double the original estimate" for a mammoth expansion of the Capitol, which includes 160,000 feet of new office space.
Lewis accused House leaders of trying to "paper over Democrat divisions on the war in Iraq by delivering billions of dollars in unrelated and unauthorized spending that is somehow given an emergency designation."
Hoyer denied the charge from Lewis, who himself was famous for his own pork spending when he served as Appropriations Committee chairman under Republican control.
"They are a strange group to talk about buying votes," Hoyer chuckled. "This is the crowd that took pork barrel spending to new levels of irresponsibility."
The 172-page spending bill will get its first public airing today at an Appropriations Committee meeting, where panel members expect to approve it.
Rep. Mark Kirk, an Illinois Republican who sits on the committee, said he will try amending the bill today. First, he wants to strip out the non-emergency, member-requested spending and force it to go through the normal appropriations process. Under newly approved Democratic rules, that would require offsets to pay for the new spending.
Kirk also wants to entirely eliminate money for spinach farmers.[/b]
"Spinach farmers in California should not be getting emergency war spending money," he said.
WASHINGTON - Congress has loaded up President Bush's request for "emergency" spending on the Iraq war with more than $20 billion in "pork" for members' districts.
Money for peanut storage in Georgia, menha spinach growers in California, menhaden in the Atlantic Ocean and even more office space for the lawmakers themselves is included in what has ballooned into a $124 billion war bill.
"This emergency supplemental bill has more ornaments hanging over our many branches of government than the White House Christmas tree," Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., said.
Originally, Bush asked for $105 billion in emergency funding. Democratic leaders say they want to grant the request to continue funding the war despite their desire to end it.
"We have provided all of the money the president requested- and more," boasted House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer.
That includes $74 million for peanut storage, $25 million for spinach growers and $100 million for citrus growers.
It also includes $16 million to convert the old Food and Drug Administration building in southwest D.C. into more office space for the Capitol. That "emergency" expenditure comes at a time when taxpayers already shell out $600 million "more than double the original estimate" for a mammoth expansion of the Capitol, which includes 160,000 feet of new office space.
Lewis accused House leaders of trying to "paper over Democrat divisions on the war in Iraq by delivering billions of dollars in unrelated and unauthorized spending that is somehow given an emergency designation."
Hoyer denied the charge from Lewis, who himself was famous for his own pork spending when he served as Appropriations Committee chairman under Republican control.
"They are a strange group to talk about buying votes," Hoyer chuckled. "This is the crowd that took pork barrel spending to new levels of irresponsibility."
The 172-page spending bill will get its first public airing today at an Appropriations Committee meeting, where panel members expect to approve it.
Rep. Mark Kirk, an Illinois Republican who sits on the committee, said he will try amending the bill today. First, he wants to strip out the non-emergency, member-requested spending and force it to go through the normal appropriations process. Under newly approved Democratic rules, that would require offsets to pay for the new spending.
Kirk also wants to entirely eliminate money for spinach farmers.[/b]
"Spinach farmers in California should not be getting emergency war spending money," he said.
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aww and i was hoping they literally bought 20 billion in pork.
The pork would cover all our bases and tanks + soldiers. Is that bacon grease on your uniform soldier? - YES SIR!!! - Good!
Just smear everything we have with pork over there, might dter some muslim fanatics0 -
Maybe they should send some of that "oinker syle" pork to Iran! 0 -
But... but... but...
I thought it was evil Republicans that were pork-and-spenders and Democrats were fiscally responsible!
Funny how when the carpet is pulled back, what's the kneejerk defense? "You did it too, and you did it worse!"
What on earth ever happened to two wrongs don't make a right?0 -
I agree spaniels, they are all bad, Parasites feeding off of the American People. I just don't understand how people can be diehard republican or democrat, claiming their party can do no wrong and it's all the other party's fault. 0 -
spaniel sells,
Yes, the Democrats are wrong on this. There's no excusing it.
Now where's your condmenation of the Republicans and their six years of fiscal abuse?0 -
quote:Originally posted by ElMuertoMonkey
spaniel sells,
Yes, the Democrats are wrong on this. There's no excusing it.
Now where's your condmenation of the Republicans and their six years of fiscal abuse?
They're wrong. Perhaps you've not ever read what I've posted. I've been chiding the GOP for idiotic actions for years, and not just on fiscal matters.0 -
Money apparently has no meaning anymore. They can pass all sorts of bills, spending hundreds of billions of dollars, and just pile it on to the endless pile of federal debt.
This government is a runaway train heading towards a cliff.0 -
Nancy Pelosi LIE!!!!!
The true purpose of there lack of support for our troops is so they can become majority and spend more money!!!
IMPEACH THE DEMOCRATS!!!!!0 -
quote:Originally posted by ElMuertoMonkey
spaniel sells,
Yes, the Democrats are wrong on this. There's no excusing it.
Now where's your condmenation of the Republicans and their six years of fiscal abuse?
That condemnation was loud and clear in the last election. The spend it all traitors got tossed out on their butts.0 -
quote:Originally posted by bpost1958
quote:Originally posted by ElMuertoMonkey
spaniel sells,
Yes, the Democrats are wrong on this. There's no excusing it.
Now where's your condmenation of the Republicans and their six years of fiscal abuse?
That condemnation was loud and clear in the last election. The spend it all traitors got tossed out on their butts.
What Nancy needs is a bigger jet! Maybe she could get that in this additional spending bill on our troops.0 -
The more I see of Republicans and Democrats...the better I like snakes and scorpions..at least those creatures make no attempt to pretend to be intelligent.... 0 -
quote:Originally posted by MosinNagantDisciple
Money apparently has no meaning anymore. They can pass all sorts of bills, spending hundreds of billions of dollars, and just pile it on to the endless pile of federal debt.
This government is a runaway train heading towards a cliff.
I agree. With the logic they represent, I don't know why they don't give themselves a trillion dollar spending bill. Since they don't have the 124 anyway, what would it matter if it was 200 billion? Or 500? Spend the invisible money. Spend it all!! lol It's worked for years and nothing's happened. Who cares!? That really is the logic.
The money keeps being devalued over the years. Think about it. At one point in our country's history, a billion dollars was a huge spending bill. Now, they thumb their noses at that kind of money. A million dollars is like pennies and gets nothing done. Hundreds of millions is nothing. A billion is nothing. 50 billion 'might' raise an eyebrow or two. 124 billion, ok, well, I guess they can just barely settle for that, as long as everybody's getting what they want. It's crazy!!! Complete insanity and fiscal irresponsibility.
Just one billion dollars is a 1 with 9 zeros behind it. If they wanted to give it back to local communities in this country, a billion dollars could give 100,000 communities in the U.S., 10,000 dollars.
If they invested the entire 124 billion back into this country, that would be enough money to give 100,000 communities, 1,240,000 dollars. That may not be much for large cities but it could solve every problem for 100,000 small communities. Which would amount to, give or take, 2000 communities per state. That seems like a lot to me.
Instead, this money will go up in smoke and 6 months from now, nobody will know where it went. Oh wait, most of it's being spent on Iraq. Oh, well I guess it's ok than. [:o)]0
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