Major Problems with Fiscal Year 2009 Omnibus Bill
I oppose the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations bill because I am seriously concerned about excessive government spending. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that federal spending will reach 24.9% of GDP in 2009 compared to the 40-year average of 20.6%, and the 2009 estimate excludes the impact of the stimulus and Omnibus bills.
What is the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009?
The Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 will authorize final appropriations for the current fiscal year for the following departments: Agriculture, Commerce/State/Justice, Energy and Water, Financial Services, Interior, Labor/Health and Human Services, Transportation/HUD, State/Foreign Operations and Legislative Branch.
Last year, Congress approved fiscal year 2009 appropriations for Defense, Veterans Administration, Military Construction, and Homeland Security. Appropriations for debt interest and for entitlements like Social Security and Medicare as well as interest on the debt are essentially on auto-pilot and are not subject to annual debate. However, Congress did not approve final appropriations for the other departments. These departments are currently being funded through a continuing resolution based on fiscal year 2008 appropriations. The Omnibus bill will authorize the final 2009 appropriations for these departments.
Omnibus Problem #1: Excessive Spending
The Omnibus bill significantly increases the size of the federal government. Total spending in the Omnibus bill is $410 billion, an increase of $31.5 billion, or 8.3%, over 2008 appropriations for the departments impacted by the Omnibus Bill. An 8.3% increase is more than double the rate of inflation and population growth combined.
However, the situation is even worse when the Omnibus bill is considered along with the recently passed “stimulus” bill. The “stimulus” bill added $269.7 billion to 2009 appropriations for these departments. When the impacts of the Omnibus and the “stimulus” bill are combined, fiscal year 2009 appropriations for these departments will increase a massive 79.6%.
Fiscal Impacts of 2009 Omnibus Bill
Excludes Social Security, Medicare, Interest, Defense, Veterans, and Homeland Security
Budget | Amount | Percent Increase over 2008 |
2008 Appropriations | $378.4 billion | N/A |
2009 “Stimulus” increase | $269.7 billion | 71.3% |
2009 Omnibus increase | $31.5 billion | 8.3% |
2009 Total increase | $301.2 billion | 79.6% |
Omnibus Problem #2: Questionable Spending
The Omnibus bill contains questionable spending, including the following:
· $545 million for State Department to fund foreign family planning programs, funds that will flow to abortion providers now that the Mexico City Policy has been repealed by the Obama Administration.
· $181 million for the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation for housing counseling. ACORN has been a past recipient of such funding.
· $155 million for the National Endowment for the Arts, in addition to the $50 million for the NEA provided in the stimulus bill
· $15 million for the International Fund for Ireland
· $15 million for a new building for the House of Representatives
· $500,000 for the National History Day Contest
Omnibus Problem #3: Earmarks
The Omnibus bill contains roughly 9,000 earmarks totaling $7.7 billion. Since the Omnibus bill will come to the floor under closed rule, Congress will not amend or debate these earmarks.
· $2.7 million for the Wood Education and Resource Center in West Virginia
· $2 million for the promotion of astronomy in Hawaii
· $1.9 million for the Pleasure Beach Water Taxi Service Project in Connecticut
· $1 million to research red snapper in Florida
· $950,000 for a bike path in Wisconsin
· $950,000 for a National Council of La Raza loan fund for the “community development activities”
· $900,000 for planetarium equipment in Chicago
· $500,000 for a Native Hawaiian Culture and Arts Program
· $285,000 for Native Hawaiians Organizations Association entrepreneurial development
· $167,000 for the (Gene) Autry National Center for the American West
· $122,000 for the Greater Toledo Arts Commission Creative Industry Development
· $100,000 for the Seals as Sentinels program in Maine
