I’ve been watching the news about the new federal budget for the upcoming year, and I’ve also been listening to all the talk about how the new budget is full of ear marks. I find it interesting that the people doing most of the complaining about the aforementioned ear marks are Congressional Republicans. I also find it interesting that those angry voices, along with many others, have inserted ear marks of their own into the bill.
Shenanigans I say! Shenanigans! To say nothing of hypocrisy.
Had the President not signed this federal budget bill, which provides our federal government the money it needs to continue operating, the United States government would have shut down. Were that to happen, the ramifications could be devastating. Little things, that most people take for granted, would stop working. Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid checks would stop being printed and mailed. All nonessential federal workers would be sent home without pay. Basically, a slow but steady breakdown of vital services would ensue.
The President publicly stated, “I am signing an imperfect omnibus bill because it’s necessary for the ongoing functions of government and we have a lot more work to do.” He didn’t even sign the bill in the traditional public fashion, but rather, behind closed doors, implying his displeasure with it.
Thirty-five senators voted against the bill, although 28 of those 35 had pork attached to it. For what it’s worth, there was Democrat pork, but only from one senator, all the rest was added by Republicans. They all very vocally opposed the spending bill, but in the end, took home $240 million to their states.
There has been criticism toward President Obama for signing such a bill. Some opponents of the President have said that he is breaking a campaign promise by signing the bill, while it carries so much pork. In fact, President Obama never made a campaign promise to end ear marks. That was Senator John McCain. At the time, Senator Obama said that he would work to end the abuse of said ear marks. President Obama has stated, “ Let me be clear. Done right, ear marks have given legislators the opportunity to direct federal money to worthy projects that benefit people in their districts, and that’s why I opposed their outright elimination. I believe as we move forward, we can come together around principals that prevent the abuse of ear marks.”
Here’s the list of the senators that decided that their states could use a little extra cash, via the federal budget:
Barrasso R-WY (4 earmarks, $2.7 million)
Bayh D-IN (4 earmarks, $1.2 million)
Bennett R-UT (23 earmarks, $18 million)
Brownback R-KS (21 earmaks, $12 million)
Bunning R-KY (5 earmarks, $735,000)
Burr R-NC (3 earmarks, $1.3 million)
Chambliss R-GA (7 earmarks, $4.3 million)
Collins R-ME (1 earmark, $380,000)
Corker R-TN (1 earmark, $760,000)
Cornyn R-TX (5 earmarks, $2.5 million)
Crapo R-ID (1 earmark, $100,000)
Enzi R-WY (5 earmarks, $1.7 million)
Graham R-SC (14 earmarks, $9.5 million)
Grassley R-IA (8 earmarks, $350,000)
Gregg R-NH (19 earmarks, $10 million)
Hatch R-UT (7 earmarks, $700,000)
Hutchison R-TX (35 earmarks, $9.9 million)
Inhofe R-OK (34 earmarks, $53 million)
Isakson R-GA (2 earmarks, $1.4 million)
Kyl R-AZ (3 earmarks, $5 million)
Lugar R-IN (10 earmarks, $3.3 million)
Martinez R-FL (8 earmarks, $18.8 million)
McConnell R-KY (36 earmarks, $51 million)
Roberts R-KS (11 earmarks, $2.2 million)
Sessions R-AL (12 earmarks, $4.3 million)
Thune R-SD (6 earmarks, $4.3 million)
Vitter R-LA (16 earmarks, $4 million)
Voinovich R-OH (6 earmarks, $13.5 million)
