WASHINGTON — The Democratic-controlled House pushed through a $410 billion measure Wednesday that boosted domestic programs, bristled with earmarks and chipped away at policies left behind by the Bush administration.
The vote was 245-178, largely along party lines.
Republicans assailed the measure as too costly — particularly on the heels of a $787 billion stimulus bill that President Barack Obama signed last week. But Democrats jabbed back.
“The same people who drove the economy into the ditch are now complaining about the size of the tow truck,” said Rep. James McGovern, D-Mass., pointing out the large increase in deficits that President George W. Bush and GOP-controlled Congresses amassed.
From the GOP side, Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas said the legislation was “going to grow the government 8.3 percent . . . but the family budget which has to pay for the federal budget only grew at 1.3 percent last year.”
The debate occurred one day after Obama told Congress that he intends to cut deficits in half over the next four years, and one day before he was to submit tax and spending plans for the coming year.
Officials said the president’s first budget would call for a permanent tax cut of $400 for lower- and middle-class workers and $800 for families, a break modeled after the temporary provision in the economic-stimulus legislation.
He also will seek $634 billion over 10 years as a down payment on health- care reform, the start of an effort aimed at providing coverage for an estimated 48 million uninsured people. Achieving that goal could cost much more.
Obama also intends to ask lawmakers to approve a new cap-and-trade system of limits and pollution allowances, especially for industries such as utilities with coal-burning power plants. The program would help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions while generating revenue that could help finance other elements of his agenda.
The House spending bill got support from 229 Democrats and 16 Republicans.
In a symbolic bow to the recession, Democrats included in the spending measure a prohibition on a cost-of-living increase for members of Congress.
Overall, the legislation would provide increases of roughly 8 percent for the federal agencies it covered, about $32 billion more than last year.
The bill is intended to allow smooth functioning of the government through the Sept. 30 end of this fiscal year. The Senate has yet to vote on its version.
After persuading lawmakers to keep earmarks off the stimulus bill, Obama made no such attempt on the first non emergency spending measure of his presidency. The result was that lawmakers claimed billions in federal funds for pet projects — a total of 8,570 earmarks at a cost of $7.7 billion, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense.
In remarks on the House floor, Republican leader John Boehner urged Obama to veto the legislation, citing earmarks. At the White House, press secretary Robert Gibbs responded only in general terms.
“There is great concern in this building and by the president about earmarks,” Gibbs said. “Without having looked specifically at a piece of legislation, I’m hesitant to throw out that four-letter word, ‘veto.’ ”
Impact on Colorado
All Colorado Democrats voted “yes” on the omnibus appropriations bill, while Republicans voted “no.”
Among the big-ticket items for Colorado included in the bill:
TRANSPORTATION/TRANSIT
West Corridor light rail: $60 million
Maintenance for Interstate 225 and East Colfax Avenue intersection: $1.43 million
Denver International Airport runway and taxiway improvements: $1.19 million
Southeast Corridor light rail: $1 million
FEDERAL LABS/DEPARTMENTS
National Institute of Standards and Technology for promotion of U.S. scientific competitiveness: $819 million
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration climate research: $394 million
National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden: $64 million
Department of Energy-EERE/Biomass Fuel Cell Systems: $1.66 million
PUBLIC LANDS/ENVIRONMENT
Bureau of Reclamation and the Big Thompson Project: $12 million
Arapaho National Forest: $3 million
Rocky Mountain National Park: $1.27 million
Sources: U.S. Reps. Diana DeGette, Ed Perlmutter and Jared Polis
