President Bush and Democratic leaders in Congress are headed for another showdown over a months-late, pork-stuffed $522 billion omnibus spending bill that would raise federal outlays to nearly $9,800 for every American family.
Bush has promised to veto this budget-busting monstrosity. He should because it contains 11,932 earmarks, costing more than $31 billion, and raises total spending for departments and agencies much more than he recommended.
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Just one year ago, Democrats promised voters they would “drain the swamp” if they got the chance to run things on Capitol Hill. But their omnibus measure ? made necessary because they failed to pass 11 of 12 regular appropriations bills due Oct. 15 ? keeps the swamp brimming.
Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., has suggested a temporary way out of the current impasse. The continuing resolution (CR) currently funding the entire federal government expires Dec. 14. DeMint points out that simply extending the CR would save taxpayers $30 billion a year by maintaining current spending levels, compared to the Democrats? alternative budget.
Another acceptable alternative would be an omnibus spending bill with funding at current levels and no earmarks. Senate Republicans have vowed to filibuster any omnibus bill that does not include money for Iraq.
Since there are 49 Republicans and 60 votes are needed to break a filibuster, if they stick together they can force Democrats to abandon their cynical strategy of using combat troops as a “human shield” to force through a domestic spending package that?s billions higher than either Bush or the Democrats proposed back in February.
Neither Bush nor congressional Republicans should buy into any “compromise” that ties short-term war spending to excessive domestic spending.
Enough is enough. When members of Congress authorized the 2003 Iraq invasion, they accepted responsibility for the safety of American troops.
Instead of playing political budget games that imperil our soldiers, Congress should do its duty and approve no-strings-attached military funding without delay. White House budget director Jim Nussle told Democrats point-blank that President Bush will veto any return to the kind of unrestrained pork-barrel spending that destroyed his party?s reputation for fiscal restraint and cost them a majority in Congress last November. Bush and the congressional GOP should stand firm.
