House Passes Huge Year-End Spending Bill ($373 Billion)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45934-2003Dec8.html

Republicans pushed a tardy $373 billion spending package through the House on Monday despite conservative objections that the measure had too many hometown projects and Democratic complaints that it would hurt workers.

The 242-176 vote left the bill in the hands of the Senate, where its fate seemed uncertain. The GOP's narrow majority there may not be enough to overcome efforts by Democrats -- and perhaps some Republicans -- to try killing the measure when the Senate votes on it later this month or in January.

The vast bill would finance most of the government's domestic programs, including 11 Cabinet-level departments and scores of other agencies for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1. Its 1,182 pages make detailed decisions about how nearly one-sixth of the federal budget will be spent, covering everything from education to foreign aid to the exploration of space.

It is also loaded with decisions about numerous federal policies, mostly decided in favor of President Bush's proposals. These include rules governing overtime pay, media ownership, and the destruction of records of gun purchases after 24 hours.

...more...

is the New York Times and the Moonie Times are running it as $820 Billion

http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20031208-025920-8524r.htm

House approves $820 billion budget bill

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- The House of Representatives approved a massive $820 billion catch-all federal budget bill Monday that contains funding for 11 of 15 federal agencies.

<snip>

Approved 242-176 by the House, the measure faced opposition from a contingent of Democrats along with conservative Republican budget hawks. Both groups opposed the large amounts of pork spending during a time of immense budget deficits and some last minute and controversial Bush administration add-ons.

In the Senate, Democrats -- along with some GOP conservatives -- also share this sentiment

Despite the easy House approval, the measure faces a much tougher fight in the Senate where Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., has vowed to block passage of the bill on Tuesday without a full debate, which GOP leaders are trying to avoid.

The likely result is that budget will not be taken up again until the end of January, over three and half months into the federal fiscal year.

...more...

(but it was really hard to ignore the dAnn Coulter doll ad at the bottom of the page)

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/08/politics/08CND-CONG.html?ex=1071550800&?en=5b65a74196ff09fd&?ei=5062&?partner=GOOGLE

House Passes Spending Bill Without Extending Aid to Jobless

ASHINGTON, Dec. 8 — The House slipped back into Washington today and approved a massive $820 billion catchall spending measure by a vote of 242 to 176. But the brief session gave Democrats just enough time to accuse Republicans of miserliness for failing to extend unemployment benefits for thousands of Americans who will lose them by Christmas.

"The model in this Congress when it comes to working people ought to be `Bah, Humbug,' because that's what the record looks like," said Representative David Obey, Democrat of Wisconsin, complaining that extending benefits "doesn't fit in the Christmas plans for the Scrooges that are running the other party."

The bill now goes to an uncertain fate in the Senate, where Senator Robert C. Byrd has vowed to block it. Mr. Byrd, a West Virginia Democrat, is an acknowledged master of Senate maneuvering.

...more...

I thought the GOP favored SMALLER, cheaper government? Or am I just now paying attention??

paying attention -

it started with Gingrich's Contract on America and they started spinning the language - it was a pack of lies -

now in power - they are overwhelmed by their innate corruption and greed -

What they are doing is criminal (imho)

Any "true" conservative worth their salt knows this as well. I know a couple intelligent conservatives (they're out there) who'd agree, these guys have no fiscal responsibility, one of the tenets of con thought. Now if only they'd follow their brains and not their party...

Are only interested in conserving their own power.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2001809726_pork07.html

WASHINGTON — Congress wants to spend $3 million this year to introduce more young Americans to golf. It also wants to set aside $200,000 to subsidize a documentary movie about Kalahari Desert bushmen, build a $50 million indoor rainforest in Iowa and pay $225,000 to repair a swimming pool that a Nevada legislator and his friends clogged with tadpoles as children.
---------------------------------------------------------------

They also buried the OT death in this one, the FCC upping the percentage of stations one corp could own, the just added help for the steel industry and that natural gas pipeline deal in Alaska.

Google News for spending bill, it's amazing and seems as though I can't find a single article that lists it all. Each one only lists a small sample of what's in the bill. Interesting how that works out.