November 13, 2007

Vetoes Add Up Almost As Fast As The Pork

George Bush issued another veto of an appropriation bill this morning, sending Labor/HHS funding back to Congress for overspending. Democrats howled over the veto, while Bush approved the defense spending bill:

President Bush, escalating his budget battle with Congress, on Tuesday vetoed a spending measure for health and education programs prized by congressional Democrats.

He also signed a big increase in the Pentagon's non-war budget although the White House complained it contained "some unnecessary spending."

The president's action was announced on Air Force One as Bush flew to New Albany, Ind., on the Ohio River across from Louisville, Ky., for a speech criticizing the Democratic-led Congress on its budget priorities.

The Labor/HHS bill had over 2,000 earmarks, helping to push its budget more than $10 billion over that requested by the White House. Among those earmarks were $500,000 to the National Council of La Raza, over $10 million for an advanced credentialing program which the organization did not request, and the Charles Rangel Monument to Me. With the long list of unnecessities included in this porkfest, its supporters have little room to complain about a veto.

That hasn't kept them silent, of course. David Obey started the wailing and gnashing of teeth, calling the veto "pure politics". That's more than a little laughable, considering Obey's dozen pork-barrel items in the bill. Obey's constituents would have received over $4 million in federal money from the Labor/HHS bill, earmarks designed to ensure that Obey returns to Congress in 2009. Even with those dozen off of the list, it still leaves 1,988 earmarks to explain to the American taxpayer.

The only people playing politics here are the Representatives and Senators that treat the Treasury as their re-election funds. Obey, Rangel, Don Young, Ted Stevens, and their porker colleagues provide themselves with lifetime sinecures through the earmarking process, jacking up the cost of government -- and doing it all on our dime. If Congress wants to override a veto to save their pork, they'll be explaining that in the elections next fall, and we'll all be waiting with bated breath for the rationalization for Rangel's Monument to Me.

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» Bush Vetoes Bill With 2000 Earmarks from Right Voices
2000 earmarks? The White House said the $606 billion education and health was loaded with 2,000 earmarks — lawmaker-sponsored projects that critics call pork-barrel spending — which Bush wants stripped from the bill. “Some of its wasteful ... [Read More]

» Bush Vetoes Bill With 2000 Earmarks from Right Voices
2000 earmarks? The White House said the $606 billion education and health was loaded with 2,000 earmarks — lawmaker-sponsored projects that critics call pork-barrel spending — which Bush wants stripped from the bill. “Some of its wasteful ... [Read More]

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