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March 23, 2007
Rats in Congress Use Troops as 'Bargaining Chip' for Pork
Dems Accused of Using Troops as 'Bargaining Chip' for Pork
As the House prepares to debate legislation Thursday that would authorize more funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan - and set a September 2008 end-date for funding - conservative analysts condemned what they said was excessive "pork spending" in the bill.
The U.S. Troop Readiness, Veteran's Health, and Iraq Accountability Act would allocate $103 billion in additional funding for military operations, and to care for wounded troops. But it also contains $21 billion in so-called "pork spending."
Several appropriations are under fire, including:
-- $50 million for "asbestos abatement and other improvements" in the U.S. Capitol.
-- $74 million for "storage, handling, and other associated costs for the 2007 crop of peanuts."
-- $120 million to fund the shrimp industry's recovery from Hurricane Katrina
-- $284 million for payments to dairy farmers
-- $4.3 billion in increased Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster relief for areas affected by hurricanes
The bill allocates smaller amounts, such as $5.27 million for bird flu research and $165,200 for the widow of a late congressman.
Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.) said in a statement Wednesday that Democrats are "trying to pressure reluctant members into voting for this by taking on billions of dollars in pork barrel projects. The money they want to spend on spinach subsidies and peanut storage would be better spent on body armor and Humvees."
Congress is "effectively using the troops as a bargaining chip for their own pork" and called the domestic projects "extremely wasteful."
"Congress is telling the president, you cannot fund body armor for our troops until you agree to give us $16 million for extra office space in the House of Representatives," Riedl said. The $16 million allocation for "House office buildings" appeared in an earlier version of the bill but has since been removed.
Republicans on the committee believe the bill named for troops and the war on Iraq should stick to that focus and not deviate to domestic spending projects.
"This legislation ought to focus on our troops. It ought to focus on providing those in harm's way with the resources they need to complete their mission successfully," California Rep. Jerry Lewis, the ranking Republican on the Appropriations Committee, said in a statement.
For its part, the White House has said President Bush will veto the appropriations bill unless it is changed. "Because of the excessive and extraneous non-emergency spending it contains," the administration said in a statement, "if this legislation were presented to the President, he would veto the bill."
"Congress should reject this legislation," the White House statement continued, "and promptly send the President a responsible bill that provides the funding and flexibility our troops need, without holding funding for the troops hostage to unrelated spending."
Wild Thing's comment.......
There should be a name attached to every add on spending piece. Where's the congressman or senator responsible? The Democrats would like to cut national defense - not to reduce spending, but so they can weaken our military and also so they can piss it away on more of their domestic giveaway programs instead
Posted by Wild Thing at March 23, 2007 12:47 AM
Comments
I think it's called blackmail and last time I checked it was illegal.
But they've put the President in an awful bind--fund the troops or lose it all. They did this to Nixon and to Bush Sr.
This makes me sick!
Putting our kids in the same bill as peanut storage?
Give me a break!
Greedy little piggies---reet, reet, reet!
Posted by: Lynn at March 23, 2007 06:07 AM
Not blackmail - just poltics. Its a funding bill that was very likely to pass, so everyone tries to stick their own pet project on it. If you could get the list of congressmen who attached each item, you would probably find almost as many republicans as democrats. Rattyness crosses party lines.
Posted by: Suricou Raven at March 23, 2007 07:10 AM
Nothing new here. This crap could be prevented by honesty and courage on the part of Congressional leadership. Therefore it will never change. This is probably a truely bipartisan situation.
Posted by: TomR at March 23, 2007 08:21 AM
If the Republicans had pushed through the Line Item Veto, we wouldn't have to worry about this pork. Republicans dug their own graves and filled them in upon themselves.
Posted by: BobF at March 23, 2007 09:42 AM
I wonder if anyone in the Congress or the
Senate can come up with a set of balls in
ether house...I really have my doubts, honestly
I think we would be money ahead to fire every
last one of the SOBs and start over...
Posted by: Tincan Sailor at March 23, 2007 11:38 AM
Three months after promising to curtail spending on pet legislative projects, the House Appropriations Committee Democrats have salted the Iraq emergency spending bill with $3.7 billion for farm interests totally unrelated to the war as payback for those who make significant donations to Democrats.
House Ethics Chairwoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio) extended the earmark program and Rep. David Obey, (D-Wis)., the committee chairman, said the money is mostly for disaster relief, which had been left undone by Republicans. "Every time there is a disaster on the farming front, the federal government provides assistance," Obey said.
Nothing has changed with the ethics of the Democrats and the Republicans have let it happen. Gutting them all with a dull bayonnet would be too kind, they are jeapodizing the troops and screwing the taxpayer. Bush has yet to find a bill he'd veto!!!
Posted by: Jack at March 23, 2007 12:33 PM
When all you know how to do is take money from lobbyists and campaign for re-election plus your primary responsibilities are to pass mostly useless legislation and spend taxpayers' money, your options are limited.
The bulk of the 12 laws currently passed by the 110th involve mostly meaningless resolutions.
Add to that the other two branches reluctance to enforce what Congress does pass or prosecute offenders like 15 million illegals and all you get is bribes with pork between politicians.
Posted by: Stanford Matthews at March 23, 2007 02:21 PM
Both sides of the aisle are shameful.
They are playing with my kid's life, as well as every other military parent's kid's life and that enrages me.
Oh and the spinach pork is my rep's baby - Sam Farr. He also wrote a bring them home now bill. He's a good friend of code pink.
Posted by: yankeemom at March 23, 2007 03:33 PM
Speaking of Farm Subsidies, check out this website:
http://www.ewg.org/farm/index.php?key=nosign
Just click on your state and county and find out who's getting subsidized by the Feds. Now you'll know why Old McDonald, who complains of no money, seems to have a new 4X4 every other year.
Posted by: BobF at March 23, 2007 05:12 PM
Shameless scum. Playing politics while valiant men and women fight a war.
Posted by: raz0r at March 23, 2007 07:18 PM
Spineless scum is right. They should all listen to the Bob Parks video.
Posted by: Mark at March 23, 2007 07:22 PM
Lynn, that is just what they are doing. Putting the lives of our troops along with peanut storage.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 23, 2007 11:58 PM
Tom yes it will never change. It works both ways Rep. and Dem. It is just the Dems using the troops like this in their hate for Bush is crossing the line.
How do they live with themselves and do this I will never know.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 24, 2007 12:03 AM
Bob, you are right, the weakness on our parties part has allowed a lot of things and this is one of them.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 24, 2007 12:13 AM
Tincan Sailor, that would be perfect if we could do that. Star all over with brand new people in leadership, honest and....... oh well deep sigh just thinking about it. Wish it could happen.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 24, 2007 12:14 AM
Jack I saw Bush on TV tonioght and he looked angry, but the thing is he needs to be stronger and use that angry to be strong instead of letting them roll over him like he does. augh
Good comment Jack, thank you and for the links too.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 24, 2007 12:16 AM
Stanford, yes, lots of pork and lots of bribes.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 24, 2007 12:19 AM
Yankeemom, and that makes me so furious. They ARE playing with your kids life and that is unforgivable.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 24, 2007 12:20 AM
Bob thank you for the link.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 24, 2007 12:21 AM
razOr that is just what are troops are ....."valiant men and women fight a war" and those messing with them are exactly what you said...scum.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 24, 2007 12:22 AM
Mark good idea, yes they should all listen to Bob Parks video.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 24, 2007 12:26 AM
