Rant Pork Barrel Versus Unemployment Tax Cuts and Tier 5 99er’s

As Congress begins the final days of this year's session and finishes off it's lame duck gathering, an ironic situation have arisen. It seems that those on Capital Hill are pushing for one last hurrah and voting themselves a boatload of pork-barrel projects. With all the discussions lately on the current bill on tax cuts, unemployment extension benefits and of course no discussion on tier 5 or the 99er's, Congress is pushing through what is being called an "omnibus bill" loaded with tons of earmarks and pork worth more than $1.2 trillion. Yes, I said $1.2 trillion.

As this lame duck congress finishes up, they have submitted a more than 1,900 page bill that is stuffed full of provisions and pet projects pushed by both Republicans and Democrats. All of this coming on the heels of Republicans announcing that when they take control of the Senate next year those types of projects will be given up. So now, they are pushing them while they can.

Some of the items in this omnibus bill include:
* Bankrolling the operations of every Cabinet agency for the budget year that started last October.
* $158 billion to pay for both Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
* $450 million to develop a second engine for the F35 Joint Strike Fighter.
* $80 million in grants to states and Indian tribes to preserve Pacific salmon
* $13 million in clean water for rural and Alaska native villages
* $4 million for the eradication efforts of marijuana in Kentucky
* $8 million to maintain B-1 bomber fleet in South Dakota

http://www.rantrave.com/Rant/Pork-Barrel-Versus-Unemployment-Tax-Cuts-and-Tier-5-99ers.aspx