Posted on 06/01/2005 1:04:21 PM PDT by CHARLITE
President Bush strongly suggested Congress pass a highway bill that does not exceed $284 billion. The House complied.
The Senate? It approved a $295 billion bill on May 17.
What’s the extra $11 billion for anyway? Hasn’t Sen. Robert Byrd been able to pave West Virginia yet?
Actually, it’s the Republicans who were largely behind the added dollars, with the Democrats urging them on. The approval margin was overwhelming: 89-11.
But if the GOP isn’t going to demonstrate a little fiscal restraint, then who is?
The media and the political pundits get all warm and fuzzy over bipartisan bills. They seem to think that if both sides vote for something it demonstrates leadership, negotiation and compromise. But it can also mean that both sides are fleecing or pandering to the public.
There are more than 4,000 earmarks for special projects in the House bill alone that total $12.4 billion. And don’t think that every dollar is for critical infrastructure needs.
Big piles of other people’s money will be spent on such items as snowmobile trails, museums, a performing arts center, renovation of a historic depot and bus station, and much more that would be off limits to a Congress that acts within its constitutional limits.
And get this: $1 billion will be spent to encourage children to walk and ride their bicycles to school. This is a pet project of Democrat Rep. James Oberstar, who represents Minnesota, where walking and biking to school might not be a good idea for much of the school year.
The fact is that the Senate is thumbing its nose at the president. But where there is “challenge” there is also “opportunity.”
President Bush has yet to veto a bill. This could be his big opportunity reign in the “big spenders” if they don’t give him a bill geared to his budget.
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The Senate needs to get stuffed and the 17th Amendment needs to be repealed. It's time the Senators returned to the role of representing their States that was written into the original Constitution.
What exactly is the point of voting Republican if they will increase spending faster than the Dems. I'm not going to vote for someone because they want to "Manage big government better". I feel like the Republican party has gone right back to 1976. Whatever happened to smaller govt.?
President Bush? Veto a spending bill? ROTFLMAO
What makes you think that Senators wouldn't be directing pork to their states if the legislature appointed them instead of being elected?
I concur with that assessment.
"President Bush? Veto a spending bill? ROTFLMAO"
Yeah, really.
That about covers it.
Arrowhead Bottled Drinking Water through the nose - water sprayed keyboard. Thank you very much...
Drunken sailors spend their own money.
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