Senate Appropriators Stick with Tradition

Roll Call (subscription required) notes that the Senate's 'emergency supplemental' funding bill - which will pay for the cost of the Iraq war and Hurricane Katrina rebuilding - will still contain a host of extraneous funding and policy provisions. And this time, Bill Frist will join Tom Coburn in fighting to eliminate pork from the bill:

Earmarks Seek Aid for Fishing, Vaccines
April 24, 2006
By John Stanton,
Roll Call Staff

Thanks to more than $3 billion in earmarks inserted by Senate appropriators, Gulf Coast fishing interests and vaccine makers could be two of the biggest financial beneficiaries of the $106.5 billion emergency supplemental spending package, which is primarily intended to fund military needs in Iraq and recovery efforts from Hurricane Katrina.

Amid growing restiveness among fiscal conservatives over the federal budget’s rapid growth in GOP-controlled Washington, D.C. — and amid concerns that earmarking may have contributed to a run of Congressional scandals — Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) has set aside the next two weeks to work through the measure, during which he hopes to whittle down the bill’s price tag.

Although critics of the supplemental see these and other additions as examples of classic pork barrel spending, supporters argue they are all necessary federal expenditures needed to either restore the Gulf Coast economy or avert potential future disasters like an Avian influenza outbreak.

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), who wrote the fishing industry provisions in the bill, defended the additional spending last week as key to the region’s economic recovery. “I was pleased to work with Chairman Cochran and Appropriations Committee members to include additional funding for the Gulf Coast fisheries recovery effort. The seafood industry is an important part of the Gulf Coast economy and this funding will provide much needed assistance to fisherman, their communities, and the supporting industry and infrastructure,” Shelby said.

His spokeswoman, Katie Boyd, added, “An essential element to the recovery process is to restore a semblance of normalcy to people’s lives, which includes allowing them to earn a living. Sen. Shelby’s amendment would provide funding to restore essential fisheries’ infrastructure that would ultimately allow people to regain their employment and their way of life.”

It looks like Frist has finally realized that Republican Presidential primaries are dominated by small government conservatives:

Frist’s quest to slim the bill has the backing of budget hawks, including Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.). Coburn, who has long opposed earmarks, has prepared dozens of amendments targeting individual pieces of the bill, a Coburn aide said. Although the Oklahoman has frequently been isolated in his efforts to block excessive spending during his short time in the Senate, Coburn appears to have the backing of Frist, which could bolster his offensive.

Don't get worried that the Senate is willy-nilly embracing reform, however:

The Senate Appropriations Committee included a variety of earmarks unrelated to either the Iraq war effort or the Gulf Coast disaster that appear to have broad support within both parties. For instance, the committee agreed to an amendment by Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) barring the Bonneville Power Association from increasing rates, plus nearly $4 billion in emergency agricultural and drought relief funding sought by farm-state lawmakers.

The bill also includes language replacing millions of dollars in relief funds to Pennsylvania, Hawaii and other states that were reprogrammed last year to help pay for the initial rounds of hurricane relief spending, as well as funds to accelerate flood control projects and studies in California and Hawaii.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) — who has a $1 million earmark in the bill relating to an international air show in his home state — has marshalled his Caucus to use the bill as a platform to push his party’s agenda. Senate Democrats have prepared a series of amendments adding new avian flu and homeland security spending to the bill, and they have given no indication that they would back significant cuts to the existing proposal.

It will be interesting to watch the debate.

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