Submit your comments on this article |
Home Front: Politix |
Congress about to give itself a big budget hike |
2009-10-01 |
Just when everybody is distracted by the health care reform debate, Congress is quietly preparing to spend billions for "home improvements" for its offices, buildings, staff salaries and facilities, and publications, via the $4.7 billion annual legislative branch operational budget appropriation. That represents a 5.8 percent increase over last year. The bill was approved by the House last week, is expected to pass the Senate today,and will be quickly signed when it lands on President Obama's desk. The legislative branch appropriation funds salaries and expenses for the personal staffs of all 535 senators and representatives, as well as their committee staffs, committee administrative budgets, and provides money to maintain operations of the Government Printing Office (GPO), Office of the Architect of the Capitol, Congressional Research Service (CRS), Government Accountability Office (GAO), and the Capitol Police. Salaries of congressmen are handled separately. Among the goodies, according to Politico, is a $500,000 "pilot program" for senators to mail postcards to constituents about town hall meetings. Then there is another $4 million for congressmen to hire "consultants." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, gets nine, while Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will have to make do with only three. Also included in the bill are increases aveaging around 4.3 percent for Vice President Joe Biden's Senate office, Reid and McConnell's leadership offices, and those of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader John Boehner and other House leaders. Meanwhile, the federal budget deficit approaches $2 trillion for 2010. Clearly, these people don't have a clue about how to manage a budget. |
Posted by:Fred |
#9 We seriously need to think about abolishing the 16th amendment. |
Posted by: newc 2009-10-01 15:07 |
#8 Seems Congress is dead set on determining how close to zero they can get their approval numbers. |
Posted by: rjschwarz 2009-10-01 15:04 |
#7 But if ACORN isn't to get any more funding, the money has to be spent somehow. |
Posted by: trailing wife 2009-10-01 13:36 |
#6 But they can't pay Alaskan WW II vets their much deserved retirement. |
Posted by: CrazyFool 2009-10-01 13:34 |
#5 Are these the same geezers who approved giving close to a million to ACORN so they can teach low income families |
Posted by: Woozle Uneter9007 2009-10-01 10:46 |
#4 'Shovel-ready' spending. Shovel the money at the politicians and they'll spend it. But I guess they need a 5.8% budget increase since they have so much more mega-legislation to oversee. Seriously, how many of y'all are getting an extra 5.8% in free money this year? Of course our esteemed New Orleans City Council is trying to vote itself (effective next term, to its limited credit) almost a 100% raise. |
Posted by: Glenmore 2009-10-01 08:02 |
#3 ION WMF > IRAN: ANY ATTACK BY ISRAEL WOULD ONLY ACCELERATE ITS DEMISE [unto ERADICATION/ EXTINCTION]. Iranian Defense Mnistry. * SAME > "BENDERA" RADICAL GROUP IN INDONESIA PROCLAIMS DECLARATION OF WAR AGZ MALAYSIA + JAPAN [designs for 10/8/09 Terror event in Nippon]; THE RISE OF CHINA'S NAVAL HISTORY, END OF THE US MILITARY RAMPAGE IN THE PACIFIC. US dominance likely won't end right away, but its coming. |
Posted by: JosephMendiola 2009-10-01 01:07 |
#2 Did they allocate any money for the fumigating the WH will need in about 3-1/2 years? |
Posted by: Woozle Uneter9007 2009-10-01 01:02 |
#1 IIRC FREEREPUBLIC > [Alan Keyes] GOVERNMENT TO STAGE TERROR ATTCKS, DECLARE MARTIAL LAW. D *** NG IT, theres US$1.0TRILYUHN-R-LESS in US Net GDP left which must be spent good and proper. |
Posted by: JosephMendiola 2009-10-01 00:32 |