10 Senate Republicans Join Democrats To Keep Pork In Spending Bill

• March 10, 2009

Sigh…

WASHINGTON – Members of both parties Monday voted to keep their cherished home-state projects as the Senate resumed debate on a spending bill covering foreign aid and domestic agency budgets. By a 63-32 vote, lawmakers rejected a bid by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to effectively strip about 8,000 of those earmarks from the $410 billion measure.
“If the president really wants to change Washington, as soon as this bill reaches his desk, he should veto it and send it back and say, ‘Clean it up,’” McCain said. . . .
The 1,132-page spending bill awards big increases to domestic programs and is stuffed with pet projects. The measure wraps together nine spending bills to pay for the annual operating budgets of every Cabinet department except for the departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs.
The bill has 7,991 pet projects totaling $5.5 billion, according to calculations by the GOP staff of the House Appropriations Committee.

Here are the Republicans who voted in favor of the $5.5 billion in pork:
Alexander (R-TN)
Bond (R-MO)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Roberts (R-KS)
Shelby (R-AL)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Wicker (R-MS)
$5.5 billion in pork isn’t a lot compared to some of the wasteful spending we’ve seen already in the dawn of the Obama administration, but it’s more than just the spending. It’s the fact that these people put buttering the bread of their big-money contributors back home above sound policy. Earmarks aren’t the most pressing spending concern in Congress, but they’re a corrupting influence.
Until Republicans can be counted on to offer Americans something that’s distinctly different from what Democrats are offering, they’re going to remain the minority problem.
If Republicans say limited government, they should mean limited government.

Tags: Asshats, Domestic Issues, Politics

http://ndgoon.blogspot.com/ goon

Rob, it really highlights the extent of the problem. Here we have 25% of the GOP Senate caucus undermining the whole caucus on a big vote. Think of how many of them regularly stray on less well-publicized issues (i.e., the vast, vast majority of bills that come down the pipe).

The sad part is that guys think they are doing the right thing as well.
http://ndgoon.blogspot.com/ goon

Collins (R-ME), Snowe (R-ME), Specter (R-PA) these three clowns should be thrown out of the republican party because they are disgrace. Thank god we got rid of RINO’S Lincoln Chaffe and the other moron Christopher Shays.

Alexander (R-TN), Cochran (R-MS), Shelby (R-AL), Wicker (R-MS) I don’t get these guys? I guess they feel left out from the North East RINO’s are getting all of the money.
deadrody

What the hell is with Snowe and Specter ? Are they really THAT dumb ? You’d think they would at least be calculating cynics and see that this vote didn’t need them to pass and throw the GOP a bone and vote with them. Are they getting points for selling out their own party just for the fun of it ?
bill-tb

The whole of the federal government, lie cheat and steal. It’s a sad site.
http://www.thelibertybellpost.com/ Rick

Rob, thanks for providing that list. It highlights the fact that the Republican Party is part of the problem not the solution. I’m not sure that I even believe in the small group of “conservatives” that have suddenly found their religion. If anyone out there is still playing the game of Rep. vs. Dem., please stop! That paradigm shifted a long time ago. The game is Us vs. Them and Them is winning right now. Our government has been hijacked from the people and the group of bandits running the show are looting the treasury as fast as we let them. Getting angry, voting Rep., blogging, etc. are all nice things but it may be time to get a little more active. In your face visibility may be the only way to control this beast.
jimmypop

If Republicans say limited government, they should mean limited government.

they have not said anything like that for at least 8 years.
docdave

Wow, this gives some credence to my new signature saying.
2Hotel9

You said 10 Republicans. Where is that list? All I see is 10 Democrats listed in this post.
Brent

Rob, it really highlights the extent of the problem. Here we have 25% of the GOP Senate caucus undermining the whole caucus on a big vote. Think of how many of them regularly stray on less well-publicized issues (i.e., the vast, vast majority of bills that come down the pipe).

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