Today in Washington D. C. - Jan16, 2009 - #pork #statebooks

Yesterday, the Senate voted 73-21 to pass the omnibus public lands bill (S. 22). As Americans for Limited Government points out, "Without question, the $10 billion, 1296-page, pork-laden legislation . . . may seem to the spendthrift salons like a pittance compared to $700 billion for TARP funds they’re already in the process of dealing out, or $300 billion for foreclosure “prevention”. But, it still represents about $67 for every adult in America. And in today’s economy, they would undoubtedly prefer to take the cash. The Reid-Omnibus giveaway represents a culture of favors, kickbacks, and payoffs to favored special interests. It includes such gems as $5 million for botanical gardens in Florida and Hawaii, $14 million for tropical research in Panama, $12 million for an orchid museum in Maryland, and $1 billion to rescue salmon in California. Were that not enough, the bill also would on substance cordon off more than 8.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 300 million barrels of oil out of production in Wyoming."

They the Senate voted 72-23 to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to the Ledbetter bill (S. 181). A number of Republicans voted for cloture so that they could offer amendments to the bill. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) has a substitute amendment pending. Later in the day, a disapproval resolution (S. J. Res. 5) on releasing the second installment of tarp funding failed by a vote of 42-52.

After more than three months of talking about an economic stimulus bill, House Democrats finally unveiled the text of an actual bill yesterday with a massive $825 billion price tag. But with the bill fresh off the presses, there some Democrats are already warning it might not be enough. The Washington Post writes today, “The House measure is far larger than lawmakers envisioned when the stimulus idea surfaced last fall and, as the recession shows signs of worsening, Democrats predict the price tag could grow to nearly $1 trillion before the bill reaches Obama’s desk.” According to the AP, House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-WI) told reporters, “This product may in fact undershoot the mark.”

And McClatchy reports that some Democrats are warning the spending bill won’t really do much: “In a summary of the legislation provided by [Obey] Democrats warned that the bill won't be a cure-all. ‘The economy is in such trouble that, even with passage of this package, unemployment rates are expected to rise to between 8 and 9 percent this year. Without this package, we are warned that unemployment could explode to near 12 percent,’ the summary said.”

On top of that, every week there are new reports of dubious spending proposals in the bill. Just this week we’ve heard about sod for the National Mall, eliminating dairy cows to drive up milk prices, and $650 million for TV converter boxes. Are these things really going to stimulate the economy?

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats lined up to support President-elect Barack Obama yesterday, as they voted to allow the second $350 billion installment of TARP funds go through. Politico writes today, “Only eight Democrats opposed Obama; most striking was his success among Democratic freshmen, many of whom campaigned against the same banking bailout fund last fall. Of these seven, only Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) opposed Obama on his request. By contrast, the two Udall cousins, Mark of Colorado and Tom of New Mexico, backed Obama after twice voting against the initial $700 billion bailout when they were House members.

“‘Circumstances have changed,’ said the new Sen. Tom Udall. Indeed, North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan, who used the bailout issue as a political lever to help oust former Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.), also backed the president-elect. And Republicans winced when Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) backed the request after running ads attacking Republican Sen. Gordon Smith for supporting Treasury last fall.”

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