Posted on 12/15/2010 12:14:18 AM PST by onyx
Sen. Jim DeMint (R., S.C.) is ready to battle over the omnibus spending bill. According to Roll Call, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) has taken notice:
Although Reid had initially intended to begin work on an omnibus spending bill after the tax vote, he is now pushing it off until late Thursday in the face of stiff GOP opposition. Republicans have threatened to filibuster the omnibus, and DeMint said Tuesday that he would force a reading of the bill on the floor, a process that could take 60 to 70 hours, a Reid aide said.
Reid could begin debate on the omnibus bill before Thursday, because Senate rules allow debate on the arms reduction treaty with Russia and the omnibus to occur simultaneously.
However, by delaying the start of the omnibus debate until late Thursday, Reid appears to be trying to box Republican opponents into either voting for the measure Saturday, when the current continuing resolution funding the government will expire, or shut down the government by filibustering the bill.
DeMint warned National Review Online on Monday about Reid’s potential maneuver. “Sounds like they want to dual-track [the START treaty] with the terrible omnibus bill,” he said. “I’m really concerned . . . . I’m not going to be sleeping very well this week.”
Wesley Denton, a DeMint spokesman, tells NRO that despite pressure from Reid, the South Carolinian plans to read aloud the omnibus bill, for as long as it takes. He will point out that the Senate could easily pass a continuing resolution sans pork-laden projects.
“This 2,000-page bill is so packed with pork and objectionable legislative items it could take weeks until we know the policy implications, but Reid wants to ram it through in a few days,” Denton says. “This stampede of spending and bad policy is exactly what voters rejected in November. Senator DeMint will continue working with Republican colleagues to expose the bill’s waste and he’ll fight to stop the rush to pass it on the Senate floor.”
I just saw that, too, but I also heard Major Garrett earlier on Imus and he said that Reid is bluffing about calling the lameduck Senate back into session after Christmas.
Well, if that’s true, then filibustering this damn thing MUST BE DONE!
So here’s the list of Senators and the number of earmarks I found for each in this Omnibus - so find your Senator and see what they did in this bill.
Cochran (R-MS) 230
Wicker (R-MS) 199
Murray (D-WA) 172
Harkin (D-IA) 152
Reid (D-NV) 129
Menendez (D-NJ) 123
Feinstein (D-CA) 121
Lautenberg (D-NJ) 120
Lincoln (D-AR) 114
Inouye (D-HI) 113
Schumer (D-NY) 106
Johnson (D-SD) 105
Landrieu (D-LA) 104
Specter (D-PA) 103
Pryor (D-AR) 96
Levin (D-MI) 93
Stabenow (D-MI) 91
Boxer (D-CA) 90
Brown (D-OH) 87
Grassley (R-IA) 86
Bingaman (D-NM) 86
Durbin (D-IL) 86
Akaka (D-HI) 83
Wyden (D-OR) 83
Cardin (D-MD) 79
Merkley (D-OR) 79
Gillibrand (D-NY) 79
Bond (R-MO) 78
Bennett (R-UT) 76
Casey (D-PA) 76
Udall (D-NM) 73
Reed (D-RI) 70
Kerry (D-MA) 69
Cantwell (D-WA) 69
Hagan (D-NC) 69
Voinovich (R-OH) 68
Klobuchar (D-MN) 68
Rockefeller (D-WV) 67
Dodd (D-CT) 66
Mikulski (D-MD) 65
Tester (D-MT) 65
Lieberman (ID-CT) 64
Hutchison (R-TX) 63
Burr (R-NC) 63
Baucus (D-MT) 62
Dorgan (D-ND) 60
Warner (D-VA) 60
Webb (D-VA) 58
Franken (D-MN) 58
Collins (R-ME) 57
Leahy (D-VT) 56
Murkowski (R-AK) 55
Whitehouse (D-RI) 55
Kohl (D-WI) 54
Conrad (D-ND) 52
Vitter (R-LA) 48
Cornyn (R-TX) 45
Snowe (R-ME) 44
Nelson (D-FL) 43
Chambliss (R-GA) 42
Crapo (R-ID) 41
Risch (R-ID) 41
Bennet (D-CO) 40
Brownback (R-KS) 39
Carper (D-DE) 39
Begich (D-AK) 37
McConnell (R-KY) 35
Roberts (R-KS) 35
Sanders (I-VT) 33
Shelby (R-AL) 32
Inhofe (R-OK) 32
Shaheen (D-NH) 32
Alexander (R-TN) 30
Udall (D-CO) 30
Lugar (R-IN) 29
Graham (R-SC) 27
Thune (R-SD) 26
Isakson (R-GA) 24
Nelson (D-NE) 23
Sessions (R-AL) 21
Bunning (R-KY) 21
Ensign (R-NV) 20
Gregg (R-NH) 13
Barrasso (R-WY) 4
Enzi (R-WY) 3
Hatch (R-UT) 1
Bayh (D-IN) 1
Corker (R-TN) 1
Brown (R-MA) 1
McCain (R-AZ) 0
Feingold (D-WI) 0
Kyl (R-AZ) 0
DeMint (R-SC) 0
Coburn (R-OK) 0
McCaskill (D-MO) 0
Johanns (R-NE) 0
LeMieux (R-FL) 0
Manchin (D-WV) 0
Coons (D-DE) 0
Kirk (R-IL) 0
When you take a long look at those earmark numbers, you can see that more Democrats are up on the high end in terms of earmarks, with a lot more Republicans down here on the low end of the scale.
At this point, shutting down the government would be akin to derailing a runaway freight train... a freight train that is headed for a school... and on fire.
Close the doors in Washington.
I think I quite agree. This is all really out of control.
The RATS and RINOS cannot accept the fact that the TEA Party is a major game changer and the American People are now committed and engaged in the political fight. What worked before ObamaCare will no longer work today.
You betcha!
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Cochran’s office is going to voicemail. Wicker’s office said he will now vote against it after hearing from the people, which means it could still pass. These Magnolia State senators need to hear from the Tea Party!!!!
Cochrane’s on board to vote *yes*!
Keep calling that traitor.
GOOD that Wicker has changed his mind.
LOL. Perfect. He won’t run in 2014 anyway. He’s been acting like arrogant since ‘08. He’s still planning to vote *yes.*
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My point is that some communities believe their tax dollars should be spent on these items. Thus I believe that each Congressman should have a right to his proportional share of a total amount that would be, let’s say 20%, less than is currently being spent on earmarks, and then let their constituents hold them accountable for what they choose to spend it for.
Democrats confiscating more property.
Thanks for that list!
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