Washington
08 March 2009
On Friday, the U.S. Senate shelved a final vote on the $410 billion spending bill that would fund the federal government through the current fiscal year. Senators from both parties have expressed reservations over the more than 8,000 localized spending projects, called earmarks, which total more than $7 billion.
Congress will continue debate Monday over the federal spending bill, which a handful of Republicans and Democrats are criticizing for being loaded down with earmarks, or special projects legislators use to funnel money to their constituents.
Congress did not pass the legislation last year under threat of a veto from then-President George Bush. Now some question whether President Barack Obama is breaking his campaign pledge to scour the budget line by line for wasteful spending.
Senator John McCain, 25 Feb 2009 |
"But the fact is, they are unneeded, unwanted, unnecessary and it is not last year's business," said John McCain. "It is money that is going to be spent as soon as the president signs the bill, and he should not sign it, he should veto it and send it right back."
McCain acknowledges that earmark spending is a bipartisan problem; about 40 percent of the earmarks came from fellow Republicans. One such Republican is Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama who says the inclusion of earmarks should not impede funding the government.
Sen. Richard Shelby, center, accompanied by, from left, Sen. Tom Coburn, Sen. Jon Ensign, Sen. David Vitter, and Sen. Jim DeMint, 10 Dec. 2008 |
Another Republican, Senator Lindsey Graham, who inserted 37 earmarks for South Carolina, defended the process for funneling revenue to his home state.
"I think I should have the ability as a United States Senator to direct money back to my state as long it is transparent and it makes sense," said Lindsey Graham.
In total, earmarks represent less than two percent of the federal spending bill. Graham and other senators say they expect the bill to pass later this week.