Redstate

By RS Insider Posted in Congress — Comments (2) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

The RS Insider doesn’t need inside sources to know that Congressional Democrats are having a tough time selling their Iraq emergency supplemental bill.   (Politico: “Anti-War Dems Near Defeat on Spending Bill”)   As well they should.   With Moveon.org doing an about-face to endorse the supplemental/retreat bill, the Blue Dog Democrats know that signing onto the bill would be a clear acknowledgement that they are beholden to – a part of – the Moveon.org Wing of the Democratic Party. 
 
How many Red State Democrats want to face their next campaign with the Moveon.org seal of approval?  How many Red State Democrats are anxious for the “will vote for the Moveon.org military strategy in exchange for pork” campaign commercials?   
 
Right.  Not many.
 
The RS Insider has spoken to people who have seen the draft report language of the Iraq supplemental bill destined for the Senate appropriations committee.  You know how these bills are sometimes referred to as “Christmas trees”?  Well, that’s even more true than usual.  The bill allows the transfer of money from the “sale of holiday ornaments during the 2006-2007 holiday season by the Senate gift shop”.  [if the Senate gift shop can’t profiteer from last Christmas, the terrorists have won!] It has visions of sugar beet fairies as well, providing $24 million to sugar beet producers.  Harry Reid gets a late Christmas present, too, in the form of $20 million for reimbursements to Nevada for “insect damage.”  [if the insects are not stopped, the terrorists have won!] And, in one final insult to the taxpayers, the Senate bill spends an additional $3.5 million on guided tours of the Capitol.  [if the tourists are not guided….you know]
 
It’s open for debate how any of that qualifies as an “emergency”.
 
Keep reading . . .

The draft of the Senate war supplemental spends a total of $121.5 billion, $18.5 billion above the president’s request.  The bill is broken down into four titles:  Global War on Terror ($102.5 billion), Katrina/Other ($14.8 billion), Other Matters ($100 million), and Agricultural Assistance ($4.1 billion).
 
Here are a few of the, er, “emergency” spending items that Democratic Representatives and Senators would probably rather not have their constituents – or the media – ask them about.
 

• Procurement of an explosives detection system for the Transportation Security Administration – $660 million
• Grants for the Department of Homeland Security – $850 million ($625M for rail/transit grants, $190M for port security grants, and $35M for urban area security grants)
• Fisheries disaster relief, funded through NOAA – $165.9 million (including $60.4 million for salmon fisheries in the Klamath Basin region)
• Disaster construction money for NASA (most likely for the Stennis Space Center) – $48 million
• Army Corps of Engineers funding for recovery along the coast – $1.5 billion
• Includes funding for Hawaii for an April 2006 flood
• Forest Service money requested by the president in the non-emergency FY2008 budget – $12 million
• Education grants for rural areas – $425 million
• LIHEAP – $640 million
• Asbestos abatement at the Capitol Power Plant – $25 million
• Funding for backlog of old Department of Transportation projects – $388.9 million
• Salaries and expenses for the Farm Service Agency – $75 million
• Geothermal research and development – $22.8 million
• Grants through the Safe and Drug Free Schools program – $25 million
• Allows transfer of funds from holiday ornament sales in the Senate gift shop
• Additional funding for guided tours of the Capitol – $3.5 million
• Funding for sugar beets – $24 million
• Funding for sugar cane – $3 million
• Insect damage reimbursements in Nevada – $20 million

 
 
House Republicans (and courageous/nervous Blue Dog Dems?) are currently signing a discharge petition to simply fund the troops and the mission - no strings, no pork and no Moveon.org interference in military strategy. If the discharge petition gets 218 signatures, the bill automatically comes to the floor for consideration.   You might consider contacting Representatives to ask them to sign the petition.  Call now.