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The real reason Muslims don't consume pork

Submitted by Prometheus 6 on April 9, 2003 - 4:32am.
on

Because it makes you lie, and God don't approve of lies.

Senate Rolls a Pork Barrel Into War Bill

In fact, there were dozens of pork-barrel projects and special interest provisions that were inserted at the last minute Thursday night into the bill to pay for the war in Iraq, and the lawmakers were not particularly shy about acknowledging what they did.

Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, for example, sent out a news release to reporters in her home state, boasting of helping the Alaska seafood industry with a provision allowing wild salmon to be labeled as organic.

But members of the Appropriations Committee, who brought up most of the extraneous provisions after 10 p.m. on Thursday, about 40 minutes before the bill would be passed, said many of the expenditures were vital and needed to be attached to a bill that was guaranteed approval. Although the president calls the measure a war bill, they said, it is really a wide-ranging appropriations bill that may be the only vehicle for months to enact important provisions.

So, we're saying the President deliberately misnamed the bill, right? That "war bill" is a term of art?

"The administration itself has asked for funds in this bill that have nothing to do with Iraq, such as their request for aid to Colombia," said David Carle, a spokesman for Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont, who inserted several additions to the bill. "Each year there is a midyear course-correction bill like this to address issues like these that cannot or should not wait another year." Mr. Carle was referring to the $104 million in the bill the president requested for antinarcotics efforts in Colombia.

Okay, lets see what's so damn "vital":
¶An increase from $320 million to $330 million for a science research station at the South Pole. 1

¶A communications system for the metropolitan government of Louisville-Jefferson County in Kentucky, which will cost $5 million. A spokesman for Senator Jim Bunning, Republican of Kentucky, said he asked for the money as part of the domestic security section of the bill, because police radios in the area work on different frequencies and need to be upgraded.2

¶A provision that would make it easier for senators to send out postcards to constituents to notify them of town meetings. The amendment, sponsored by Senator Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania, would eliminate wording that limited the taxpayer-financed postcards to counties of fewer than 250,000 people.

"This is directly related to the war effort," said Mr. Specter, who is preparing for a tough re-election battle. "Meeting with the people of Pennsylvania is an important part of our job, including informing them of the war effort. It's really laughable to suggest this is anything but a minuscule change." 3

¶An amendment that would prohibit the German-owned DHL Worldwide Express delivery company from carrying American military cargo. The provision, sponsored by several senators, came after lobbying by Federal Express and United Parcel Service, according to Senate officials, and could hinder a proposed merger between DHL and Airborne Express.4

¶A provision to shift $3.3 million to repair a leaking dam in Waterbury, Vt. A spokesman for Mr. Leahy said the need to rebuild the dam was urgent and could not wait until the next appropriations bill.5

¶A provision to allow the Border Patrol to accept donations of body armor for patrol dogs, also inserted by Mr. Leahy. An 11-year-old girl in Vermont has been raising money to buy a bulletproof vest for a patrol dog, but the current legislation does not allow the patrol to accept gifts.6

1 War effort. Ooookay.
2 Hm. Maybe reasonable.
3 This is nonsense. Spector has el toro cojones. But we knew that.
4 Obviously economic warfare counts.
5 Okay, you have to do this. But it shouldn't have to be buried in a war appropriations bill. Oh, yeah, it's not really a war bill. I forgot--soldier on.
6 Well, at least this won't cost anything. But, body armor for ONE DOG??

posted by Prometheus 6 at 4/9/2003 08:32:43 AM |

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