[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 36 (Monday, March 2, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S2598]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         OMNIBUS APPROPRIATIONS

  Mr. McCONNELL. With regard to the bill before us, the Omnibus 
appropriations bill that arrived from the House certainly is an 
important piece of legislation, but it is not an emergency. Congress 
approves it every year. There is no need to rush something Congress 
approves every year. In fact, in January I recommended several times to 
the President and to the Democratic leaders in Congress that we move 
the omnibus before the stimulus. By determining what we would fund in 
an omnibus first, Democratic leaders would have been encouraged to be 
more timely, temporary, and targeted as they put together the stimulus. 
Instead, we have had the order reversed. The result is that now we have 
significant double spending showing up in both the stimulus and in the 
omnibus. We have known about the Friday deadline for months, so no one 
should suddenly point to it now as a reason to rush $410 billion in 
spending.
  Americans are getting whiplash from all the spending we are doing 
around here. Let me say that again. Americans are getting whiplash from 
all the spending we are doing around here. We need to slow down and 
consider the consequences of every dollar we spend. What we know about 
this bill already is cause for serious concern. As I said, it adds 
money for 122 programs. It adds money for 122 programs that were 
already in the stimulus. It represents an 8-percent increase over last 
year's bill.
  Much of the funding it adds or eliminates calls for scrutiny. The new 
administration has repeatedly criticized Congress for rushing through 
legislation before the public has a chance to review it. During his 
campaign, the President said he wouldn't sign any nonemergency spending 
bill the American people had not had at least 5 days to review on the 
White House Web site. There is no reason for us to rush this massive 
bill when the White House has already promised it would not sign it 
without the requisite 5-day review. I would suggest, as we begin this 
debate, that the House prepare a short-term continuing resolution. 
There is no reason for either the Senate or the American people to feel 
artificially rushed, particularly on a bill of this magnitude.
  It may seem quaint to some people, but a month ago many of us were 
concerned about a $1.2 trillion deficit. Then we watched it grow, as we 
passed a $1 trillion stimulus bill and a $33 billion bill for SCHIP. 
Then last week the President proposed a $3.6 trillion budget, including 
a $634 billion ``downpayment'' on health care reform and a major tax 
increase on small businesses. We expect to be asked to spend $1 to $2 
trillion to stabilize the financial sector, and we have been told the 
administration's housing plan, which is set to start this week, will 
cost a quarter of a trillion dollars.
  We need to step back, look at the bigger picture, and think about 
what we are doing. That means slowing down before we spend another $410 
billion.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, as I have indicated, the omnibus bill has 
been fully vetted by the various committees, Democrats and Republicans 
alike. As to the issue the Republican leader raised, that people need 
more time to review this, this has been on the Web site for well more 
than a week. People could look at it and have it memorized by now. We 
also know the issues the Republican leader raised, that President Obama 
is talking about health care. Does anyone think that we can not do 
anything dealing with health care? People have said: How much is it 
going to cost to try to take care of health care?
  How much is it going to cost to do nothing about health care? Fifty 
million people have no health insurance and millions of others are 
uninsured. If they have a private physician, every time they get sick 
and hurt, they go right to the emergency room. The highest priced 
medical care rendered anyplace in the Nation is in these emergency 
rooms. It drives up taxes, the cost of a doctor, the cost of 
hospitalization and, of course, insurance premiums. So we have to do 
something with health care.
  Energy? We are importing 70 percent of our oil. We have to do 
something about energy. Education? We are failing American children by 
not doing more for education. So these issues we are going to take up 
in the future should have nothing to do with getting this most 
important legislation passed.

  We are looking forward to moving this matter as quickly as possible. 
It is something that is important for the country because we have a lot 
of issues we need to get to after we fund the Government--something we 
should have done last year but we could not because of the difficulty 
we had working with President Bush.
  I think what Senator Inouye and Senator Cochran have done is in 
keeping with the traditions of this body in meeting the needs of the 
American people. There is no wasteful spending in this most important 
piece of legislation. It is important to all 50 States. I am hopeful 
and confident we will pass this in the next few days.

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