Thursday, November 15, 2007

What Congress really values: pork

Here's a link to the Register's editorial on the fact that the first override of a Bush veto (of which there have still been far too few) came on a bill so stuffed with pork as to cause even the hardiest taxpayer indigestion. The president originally requested $4.9 billion for water projects and stuff in an Army Corps of Engineers appropriation bill. Congress ruminated and came in with two versions: $14 billion (House) and $15 billion (Senate). Then it went to a conference committee where instead of splitting the difference (with the president it would have been around $10 billion), it added all kinds of earmarks that had not been through even the rudimentary oversight of being considered by a commiittee, and came up with a $23 billion price tag. And that panoply of pork was what stirred two-thirds of the congresscritters to stand up and override Bush's veto. Tells you what's important to them.

Read it and weep.

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