While the House-passed continuing resolution wasn’t great, it did at least manage to NOT exceed FY 2010 levels or authorize earmarks. For all intents and purposes, it was a “clean” resolution. The Senate omnibus, however, is another story altogether.
Here’s a snapshot:
The bill, released yesterday, contains $1.25 trillion in spending and 6,700 earmarks worth $8 billion. Just how much is $1.25 trillion? Try $575.13 million PER PAGE in the 2,000-page spending legislation. While these types of numbers tend to throw us all into a tailspin, is the package really all that surprising? I mean, of course some Members are going to fight for their beloved pet projects and lame ducks certainly don’t have to worry about political retaliation anymore! But, despite recognizing that reality, I still can’t seem to grasp the Majority’s notion of spending their way out of record deficits and a $13+ trillion debt.
That being said, the omnibus is here, and we must now fight it as hard as we can. After all, the House still has to agree to the proposal, and there could be significant opposition from conservatives – especially concerning the earmarks.
Here’s another factoid to fire you up. The omnibus includes $1 billion in funding to implement the new agencies and burdensome regulations authorized through Obamacare. Our thanks to the Senate Republican Policy Committee for sending us some of the specifics:
- $80 million increase (aka “plus-up”) for Department of Health and Human Services’ Departmental Management account that will enforce insurance mandates;
- $175.9 million plus-up for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Program Management account that will implement Medicaid expansion;
- $750 million from Prevention and Public Health slush fund created by Obamacare; and
- $3 million for National Health Care Workforce Commission – one of 159 boards, bureaucracies, and programs created by the new law.
Those are just a few examples of egregious spending provisions within the omnibus. For a comprehensive listing of disclosed pork projects that made the cut, check out Senator Tom Coburn’s database. I’m sure many of them will provide us all with a good laugh.