The deeply unpopular, $1.1 trillion spending bill -- including its more than 6,700 earmarks -- went down in flames Thursday night. And Florida Republicans in Congress can claim their opposition as some of the ammunition that shot it out of the sky.
In truth, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid yanked the bill after he discovered Democrats didn't have the support to get it passed. Reid said he will begin immediately to work with Republicans on a compromise popular enough for at least a short-term funding plan. Authorization to pay the country's bills expires Saturday.
Before Reid ended the bill's short and stormy life, the Republican leadership, led by incoming U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, ripped into the proposal.
One month ago today, President Obama said that we cant afford wasteful earmark spending during these tough economic times, and that he would work to end earmark spending, said Boehner. Now it is time for him to back up those words with action, by making it clear that he will veto the omnibus spending bill written by Senate Democrats, which includes over 6,000 earmarks.
At a time when the federal government is borrowing 41 cents out of every dollar it spends from our kids and grandkids, this is a Christmas tree, a nightmare our nation simply cant afford, added Boehner. The American people have spoken.Its time to end Washingtons job-killing spending binge and now the ball is in President Obamas court.
The administration countered that the spending bill would help keep the federal government running through 2011 and the omnibus bill, while flawed, was better than Congress passing continuing resolutions.
"The omnibus is not great, but it beats a year-long continuing resolution," said Defense Secretary Robert Gates at a media event Thursday.
Sunshine State Republicans agreed with Boehner and opened fire on the spending proposal.
Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney took aim at Senate Democrats for backing the bill.
This 1,924-page, nearly $1.2 trillion monstrosity is a slap in the face of the American people, who came out in droves on Nov. 2 and told Congress to cut spending and balance the budget, said Rooney. Our country is in a deep financial hole, but the Democratic majority is inexplicably determined to keep digging until its final breath.
The era of out-of-control spending and fiscal recklessness is over, added Rooney. We need to get our fiscal house in order, and the first step is to reject this irresponsible bill and get to work on legislation that will return spending to 2008 levels.
Rooney is thinking about running against Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012 -- and went after his potential opponent on the spending issue.
I was very disappointed that Sen. Nelson, after voting for the earmark ban a few weeks ago, reversed his position and requested millions of dollars in earmarks in this massive bill, said Rooney.If were going to get spending under control, we cant just talk the talk we have to walk the walk. The American people are sick and tired of reckless spending, backroom deals and business-as-usual in Washington, but apparently some in the old guard havent gotten the message.
Rooney added he hopes President Barack Obama will veto the bill.
Other Republicans looking at 2012 also weighed in on the omnibus.
Early Thursday Florida's Marco Rubio and 12 other newly elected Republican senators sent a stern letter of objection to the bill.
"We look forward to supporting a disciplined, transparent process that does not rush a 1,900-plus-page Omnibus Appropriations bill through Congress without opportunity for debate or amendment," the letter read. "The misguided Omnibus Appropriations bill should be rejected in favor of a short-term continuing resolution to keep the federal government operational until the 112th Congress, with its new mandate, is in place."
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, another Republican thinking about opposing Nelson in 2012, took to the congressional floor Thursday morning to offer harsh criticism of the spending bill emerging from the Senate -- and once again called for a balanced budget.
Republican U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis also commented Thursday morning on the spending bill, calling for Obama to veto it.
This pork-laden bill is stuffed with more earmarks and big-government spending at a time when we can least afford it, said Bilirakis. President Obama himself said the country cant afford these earmarks and the American people voted in November to end this spending binge, so now its time for the president to step up and veto this bill if it passes Congress.
The president no longer has to step up. The bill, the earmarks are gone and they will not return. Even Reid promised this: "We can and we will do better, and quickly."
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
Reach Nancy Smith at nancybutlersmith@yahoo.com or at (850) 727-0859.
