Can someone answer this for me? This is a $410 bill with $8 billion in earmarks. And the earmarks are for really ridiculous things, like pig odor research. I understand that not all the earmarks are bad, but it totally violates Obama's campaign pledge to cut out wasteful spending. Why can't Obama send it back to Congress and tell them to cut out all the earmarks?
I've heard the official explanation that this was last year's bill, so they'll sign this, but they'll make sure this doesn't happen in the future.
"We'll change the rules going forward," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Wednesday when asked about the legislation.
Well, why not change the rules now? You won't be playing favorite to anyone if you tell them to cut out all the earmarks and you'd sign the remaining $402 billion dollars of spending into law. You have time to get the new bill done by the deadline. I really don't understand why Obama is taking a hit for this garbage.
If anyone out there knows the reasoning for doing this, enlighten me, please.