Gary2Wheels Posted June 3, 2007 Share Posted June 3, 2007 I voted for open government,and damn it I'm gonna have it.... Democrats Hide Pet Projects From Voters Updated 7:20 AM ET June 3, 2007 By ANDREW TAYLOR WASHINGTON (AP) - After promising unprecedented openness regarding Congress' pork barrel practices, House Democrats are moving in the opposite direction as they draw up spending bills for the upcoming budget year. Democrats are sidestepping rules approved their first day in power in January to clearly identify "earmarks" _ lawmakers' requests for specific projects and contracts for their states. Rather than including specific pet projects, grants and contracts in legislation as it is being written, Democrats are following an order by the House Appropriations Committee chairman to keep the bills free of such earmarks until it is too late for critics to effectively challenge them. Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., says those requests for dams, community grants and research contracts for favored universities or hospitals will be added to spending measures in the fall. That is when House and Senate negotiators assemble final bills. Such requests total billions of dollars. As a result, most lawmakers will not get a chance to oppose specific projects as wasteful or questionable when the spending bills for various agencies get their first votes in the full House in June. The House-Senate compromise bills due for final action in September cannot be amended and are subject to only one hour of debate, precluding challenges to individual projects. Obey insists he is reluctantly taking the step because Appropriations Committee members and staff have not had enough time to fully review the 36,000 earmark requests that have flooded the committee. What Obey is doing runs counter to new rules that Democrats promised would make such spending decisions more open. Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POWER STROKE Posted June 3, 2007 Share Posted June 3, 2007 Come on Gary! What the hell were you thinking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop Posted June 3, 2007 Share Posted June 3, 2007 If it looks like a dem gonna take the Whitehouse, I vote repub for senate and house. If it looks like a rep gonna take the big chair, Pop vote dems for the congress. Never let them snakes get both branches again. Neither party worth the sweat it would take to beat them with a buggy whip. We sooo much better off when they cancel each other out and do nothing. Amazing that they managed in my lifetime to fuck up so utterly that I am happiest when paying those bottomfeeders to sit on they thumbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary2Wheels Posted June 3, 2007 Author Share Posted June 3, 2007 Come on Gary! What the hell were you thinking? ...no doubt about it,you and Pop caught me in my 'purple haze' mode.....'n I don't even have any ...for what it's worth,Hillary,Chuck,'n Daves gonna get a letter... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.