Congress goes to town with your money.
After passing a resolution calling for the national anthem to be sung in English and declaring puppies to be cute, Congress is really getting down to doing the people's business, which to them is the same as feathering their own nests.
The WaPo reports:
"Senators keep stuffing new provisions into an emergency spending bill for Iraq and hurricane recovery, ignoring President Bush's veto threat to advance their priorities."
The Senate version of the funding bill now stands at $109 billion and could go higher. Beyond the $72 billion for Iraq and $27 billion for Katrina, there's: $4 billion to help farmers offset the higher cost of natural gas, $800 million for additional highway funding, and --- this is the best one--- $500 million for the Northrop Grumman ship yard in Pascagoula, Miss. to make up for the amount they lost in Katrina which their insurance company isn't going to pay for.
Some might ask why the tax payers should be picking up the tab for Northrop Grumman's insurance bill, but not Trent Lott. He explains this special gift to one of his more well-off constituents like this: "We are the co-equal branch of government. We do have a say in these issues. Sometimes we can help." He should have said 'most times we help ourselves.'
So the only time Congress feels it actually has a co-equal role to play in the government is when it comes to bellying up to the money troth. [Let the executive worry about civil liberties and making war] Lott was pulling the 'co-equal branch' card because W. is threatening to veto the bill if it's too expensive. W. said yesterday, "Congress is considering a piece of legislation that will test its commitment to spending restraint." That's rich! He's never used his veto once, he never saw a spening bill he didn't like, until now apparently. Congress knows what happened when the little boy cried wolf too often, so they're ladling on the pork, damning the torpedoes and charging full speed ahead.
Next stop, making W.'s tax breaks to the rich permanent. This is your government in action.
The WaPo reports:
"Senators keep stuffing new provisions into an emergency spending bill for Iraq and hurricane recovery, ignoring President Bush's veto threat to advance their priorities."
The Senate version of the funding bill now stands at $109 billion and could go higher. Beyond the $72 billion for Iraq and $27 billion for Katrina, there's: $4 billion to help farmers offset the higher cost of natural gas, $800 million for additional highway funding, and --- this is the best one--- $500 million for the Northrop Grumman ship yard in Pascagoula, Miss. to make up for the amount they lost in Katrina which their insurance company isn't going to pay for.
Some might ask why the tax payers should be picking up the tab for Northrop Grumman's insurance bill, but not Trent Lott. He explains this special gift to one of his more well-off constituents like this: "We are the co-equal branch of government. We do have a say in these issues. Sometimes we can help." He should have said 'most times we help ourselves.'
So the only time Congress feels it actually has a co-equal role to play in the government is when it comes to bellying up to the money troth. [Let the executive worry about civil liberties and making war] Lott was pulling the 'co-equal branch' card because W. is threatening to veto the bill if it's too expensive. W. said yesterday, "Congress is considering a piece of legislation that will test its commitment to spending restraint." That's rich! He's never used his veto once, he never saw a spening bill he didn't like, until now apparently. Congress knows what happened when the little boy cried wolf too often, so they're ladling on the pork, damning the torpedoes and charging full speed ahead.
Next stop, making W.'s tax breaks to the rich permanent. This is your government in action.
posted by William Duane at 1:04 PM
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