Revolt: Rs Angry About 'Omnibus' Budget Bill Decry 'Total Mess' (formerly the CR)

[Lucille]

Revolt: Republicans Angry About 'Omnibus' Budget Bill Decry 'Total Mess' (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/12/14/revolt-republicans-angry-omnibus-budget-decry-total-mess/)


Republicans poring over a 1,924-page spending bill proposed by Democrats to cover the rest of the fiscal year are threatening to ground the legislation to a halt, citing hidden earmarks and massive spending that would be enacted into law without a review process.

Two sources who spoke to Fox News are describing the legislation as "a total mess."

Devolving into pandemonium, a source said "all hell is breaking loose" ahead of a Republican policy lunch in which Sens. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Jim DeMint of South Carolina were expected to insist the bill be read in its entirety by the clerk on the Senate floor before a vote is held.
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Currently, the continuing resolution, the stopgap measure to keep government operational until a budget is passed, is set to expire on Saturday. If another CR or the bill itself isn't passed and signed into law by President Obama by then, the government will shut down.

A spokesman for Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said "all hell is not breaking loose just yet" at the policy lunch that began at 12:30. "But I'm sure there will be a robust conversation."

On the House aide, Republican leader John Boehner is apparently warning that if the Senate sends over the bill as it is, "We will work to kill it."

Opponents of the measure are finding support among conservative groups who describe the legislation as a Democratic attempt to lock in a $3.5 trillion budget for 2010 for the next year without any spending cuts.

No mention of it funding Obamacare, FrankenDodd or passing the Food "Safety" Bill.

[Lucille]

Related: Will Congress Find Funds for Obamacare and Lots of Pork Under the Tree This Christmas?
(http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2010/12/10/congress-funds-obamacare-lots-pork-tree-christmas/#ixzz187MpBc1z)


Last Christmas Eve, the U.S. Senate gave Americans the lump of coal known as Obamacare. This year, they may take even more of our money to fund it and also force us to buy a pork-barrel full of thousands of earmarks. In a 212-206 vote, House Democrats pushed through a flawed continuing resolution yesterday that funds Obamacare and extends overall funding for the next year at reckless 2010 levels.

As Sen. Tom Coburn has pointed out, the House-passed bill contains significant Obamacare funding, which is why Coburn called the bill a “Trojan Horse to Fund New Health Law.”

Now the focus shifts to the Senate, where efforts are underway to amend the House-passed version—and not for the better.

Senate Democrats will offer an amendment to make it even worse with a full-blown omnibus appropriations bill packed with pork-barrel earmarks, spending increases, and even more funding for every top Obama administration priority. And unfortunately, some Senate Republicans may be poised to help the Democrats pass it.

Rumors are swirling that despite the fact Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell pulled the plug on official Republican support for the omnibus, a small group of rogue Republican appropriators are playing ball, planning to vote for the massive bloated spending bill in exchange for a parting Christmas gift of pork-barrel goodies for their states.

The most likely to play ball are three retiring appropriators: Kit Bond of Missouri, George Voinovich of Ohio, and Robert Bennett of Utah who will never face voters again. Plus, there's also the highest-ranking Republican appropriator: Thad Cochran of Mississippi.
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Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, some Republicans may vote for the Democrats’ pork-packed, Obamacare-funding omnibus monstrosity.
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Moreover, all senators need to be forcefully reminded that this will be the first vote on funding Obamacare, a signature issue that will loom large in the 2012 election.

The bottom line is that this Congress had all year to do its job and pass legislation to fund the government before the November midterm elections. They failed. They should not now be rewarded with a massive omnibus spending bill on their way out the door.

Sen. Coburn got it exactly right when he said: “It’s time for Congress to extend current tax rates, pass a clean spending bill – a ‘continuing resolution’ -- without extraneous and vague health care provisions, and go home.”