The Omnibus Spending Bill is another Washington Head Scratcher
Last Thursday night, the US House of Representatives passed the omnibus spending bill which has come under much scrutiny from multiple sources. This bill was backed aggressively by the President because it continued to spend more money than America could afford and continued down this road that the federal government has all the answers.
The GOP went along with it because they were irrationally scared that if they did not acquiesce to the President they could be blamed for a government shutdown. But they just won a major political victory and many Americans want them to cut spending and fight the President on his overspending habits.
The budget crisis has now been averted until September of next year.
Despite House minority leader, big government promoter, and central planner Nancy Pelosi’s (Democrat-California) very vocal disagreements the bill was passed with a 219 to 206 yes votes. 16 House Republicans joined Pelosi’s efforts to curb the bill (for once, they actually agreed with her) while 57 House Democrats chose to vote yes on the bill and defy her demands.
Huge Red Flags
Senators and tax lawyers are after the bill, talking out against the huge handouts that have been given to the big banks in the country who probably do not even need it in the first place. However, it does not look like the bill will be stopped since it is expected that the Senate will pass it unchanged in the coming days. The omnibus bill has come under the scanner for many reasons least of which is the inherent corruption in the bill’s design. 91% of Americans say that they do not believe in Congress and bills like these are the main reason for this.
The 1,600 page bill (Obamacare was 2,000 pages that no one read nor understood) has ample opportunities to hide awful recommendations in say tax attorneys and the worst bit is that the Congress has to pass it or the government shuts down which actually does not bother or affect that many people (the military does not shut down). Here are some issues with this bill:
1) $479 million for warplanes for the Pentagon.
The country’s defense is important. But when the Pentagon itself isn’t asking for these warplanes and when they want a more powerful and faster helicopter and more submarines instead, then where is the point in ordering more F-35 strike fighters when the F-35 program has historically been known to overrun its budget and run behind schedule? Has this generosity got anything to do with the fact that Lockheed Martin―the F-35 defense contractor―has spent $28 million and more on political contributions in the past?
2) Voter backed marijuana legalization in D.C. nullified
70% of D.C. voters had asked for a legalization of marijuana. But Congress has struck this down so that pharma companies and alcohol manufacturers can have a field day like they have been for years and all over the country. Alaska and Oregon are going to go ahead with their voter’s demands, but only D.C. has decided to bail out for reasons known only to the higher echelons of some very strange moves by some irrational politicians in Congress.
Unlike Benghazi and the IRS scandal which blew up in the President’s face and continues to plague his administration, he got what he wanted this time around. More spending no matter how strange that spending is. And the national debt continues to march upward.
