$1 trillion not enough – another $500 billion in the works

Since everyone seems to be falling over looking for money from the government and the Democrats control both the Executive and Legislative branches, Pelosi and crew are gearing up for more pork spending.

HR 1105 has been written up, but Democrats are sticking with the playbook refusing to post the bill online for review by the American public. I guess they figure if the PDF is not posted, they will not have to deal with all of those stupid questions from the masses.

We’ll probably see it in the next 24 hours or so, but the House leadership wants to slam it through this week.

The appropriations bill first was brought up late last year, but Democrats held off off bringing the first porkaluza to the floor and wait to see what happened after the election. From CQ Politics

House Democratic leaders released a $410 billion omnibus spending measure Monday, as the White House convened a summit on fiscal responsibility.

The bill (HR 1105) comprises the nine fiscal 2009 appropriations bills that stalled last year amid a standoff between congressional Democrats and the Bush administration. The Senate is expected to take up the bill late this week or early next week.

The fiscal year began Oct. 1, but Democrats chose to wait to complete the appropriations work until President George W. Bush was out of office because he was threatening to veto the spending measures, arguing they cost too much. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., referred to the bill Monday as “unfinished business of last year.”

Most of the funding would go to domestic agencies, as the bills funding the Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs departments were signed into law in September. The rest of the government is being funded through a continuing resolution that expires March 6.

The bill, which is roughly $410 billion, would be about $30 billion, or 8 percent, more than was spent on the nine bills in fiscal 2008. It is expected to move quickly through the House because Democrats hold a large majority. But passage through the Senate is expected to be more arduous.

We’re talking another half-trillion in pork here.

Hinderaker at Power Line sums it up quite well as he reflects on Obama’s pledge to eliminate earmarks (cough, cough) and notes the irony of releasing some information of the spending at Obama’s Fiscal Responsibility Summit (cough, cough).

Pigs will fly–to use a metaphor that seems apt under the circumstances–before Barack Obama will do anything to rein in the irresponsibility of Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and their accomplices among Congressional Democrats.

Update: Malkin has some details…

Hill staffer Tom Jones is going through the omnibus spending bill with a fine-tooth comb, and Twittering his earmark findings, including:

* $200,000 for “Tattoo Removal Violence Prevention Outreach Program,” pg. 283;

*Maine lobster earmark in the omnibus, pg. 173;

*$5.8 million earmark for the “Ted Kennedy Institute for the Senate…for the planning and design of a building & an endowment,” pg. 232;

*and National Council of La Raza, $473,000 earmark from Sens. Bingaman and Menendez, pg. 212.

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Steve McGough

Steve's a part-time conservative blogger. Steve grew up in Connecticut and has lived in Washington, D.C. and the Bahamas. He resides in Connecticut, where he’s comfortable six months of the year.

4 Comments

  1. theignorantfisherman on February 23, 2009 at 3:28 pm

    what's another 500 billion…at least the trains run on time!..lol!



  2. Erik Blazynski on February 23, 2009 at 4:22 pm

    Whatever they say is always the opposite. I accidentally turned Rush on and he was saying that same thing today. 

    Summit on fiscal responsibility = summit on fiscal irresponsibility

    Patriot Act = Take away personal freedoms act

    re-privatization = nationalization

    transparency = obfuscation 

    taskforce for a strong middle class = taskforce for eliminating the middle class



  3. Rick-WH on February 24, 2009 at 12:50 am

    We can no longer sit on the sidelines.

    It is time to sound off.

    Time for a "tea party"  to tell government at all levels that "We have had enough".

    Are you read to rumble?



    • PatRiot on February 24, 2009 at 2:48 pm

      We do need to find a way to stop this madness.  peacefully hopefully.  At the rate they are going, we cannot afford to wait to vote them out.  Rep and Dems both. 

      They are drunk with power. 

      Ron Paul and Ralph Nader would certainly respect the American people, the Constitution and common sense. 

      I hope these tea parties go on with or without their permits.



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