Obama OKs ‘imperfect' spending bill-- McCaul's strenuous objections not enough to get a veto

As printed in the Brenham Banner-Press

Congressman Michael McCaul’s strenuous objections to a federal spending bill weren’t enough to convince President Barack Obama to veto it.

Obama signed the bill Wednesday but called it "imperfect" and admitting that there should be tighter restrictions on earmarks.

The $410 billion omnibus budget is supposed to fund the necessities of federal government for the remainder of FY’09, but it contains more than 8,500 earmarks, totaling $7.7 billion in "irresponsible deficit spending," said McCaul, a Republican whose district includes Washington County.

"Maybe the Democrats who control this Congress haven’t felt the recession or heard the voices of Americans who are forced to tighten their belts and make sacrifices. But the people of my district have spoken loud and clear," said McCaul, who voted against the bill in the House.
"Projects like pig odor waste that are in this bill are the ultimate in pork spending. Especially now, we in Congress owe it to the American people to cut the fat and spend their tax dollars prudently."

The bill will grow government spending at more than double the rate of inflation and almost triple the rate of median growth in household incomes, said McCaul.

Among the 8,000 earmarks in the bill:
· $1.8 million for swine odor waste research.
· $21 million to put salmon into a river that has run dry for 70 years.
· $1 million for red snapper research in Florida.
· $100,000 for the Seals as Sentinels program in Maine.
· $7.1 million for the recovery of Hawaiian sea turtle populations.
· $1.9 million for the Pleasure Beach Water Taxi Service Project in Connecticut.
· $950,000 for a National Council of La Raza loan fund for "community development activities."
· $1.4 million for grape research.
· $1.049 million for cricket control.

McCaul said he stopped requesting earmarks at the beginning of 2008 because the system is susceptible to waste, fraud and abuse and called a Democrats-pushed earmark ‘reform initiative, released Wednesday, "a day late and several billion dollars short."

While it makes the process more transparent it does not ensure earmarks are granted by merit of the project instead of by a member’s seniority or position, he said.

"The system should be 100 percent transparent as to the sponsor and recipient and subject to an up or down vote in the House," said McCaul. "Until that happens, I continue to ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me and not take part in the system."

Obama signed the spending bill in private, unlike a number of recent bill signings that took place with fanfare. But he raised the issue of earmarks in public comments that played down their scope and possible harm.

They comprise about 1 percent of the spending package, which will keep the government running through September, he told reporters.

"Done right, earmarks have given legislators the opportunity to direct federal money to worthy projects that benefit people in their districts. And that’s why I’ve opposed their outright elimination," he said.

Still, the president acknowledged the storm of criticism from watchdog groups, talk show hosts and many Republican lawmakers — including some who have obtained earmarks — who call them wasteful and politically motivated. He noted that he, too, has taken issue with earmarks, which are provisions that direct money to specific projects.

Proposing new safeguards Wednesday, Obama asked Congress to require that any earmark for a for-profit company be subject to competitive bids. He also said he would work with Congress to eliminate earmarks or other specific items in spending bills that he believes serve no legitimate purpose. But he did not specify how.