Democrats' Surrender Bill STILL Loaded With Pork

Via email:

Republicans forced Democrats to abandon their plans to include funding for spinach farmers, funding for Christmas tree farms, and other pork-barrel projects in their Iraq surrender bill. But an analysis reveals that the new version of the bill is still loaded with extra spending that has absolutely nothing to do with American troops or veterans.

The latest version of the Democrats' Iraq surrender bill includes taxpayer subsidies for production of everything from cows and pigs to salmon and dairy products. Much of this extra spending was not included in the original House-passed bill and has not been debated by the House. And all of it would be passed on the backs of American troops who are putting their lives on the line for our freedom overseas.

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH), who argues the extra spending should be debated separately from the troop funding bill, today criticized the Democrats' legislation:

"This bill should be about giving General Petraeus and our troops the resources and support they need to complete their mission and return home safely. Instead it does exactly the opposite. This bill pulls the rug out from under our troops and commanders, forces them to surrender, and insults them by exploiting them to pass billions of dollars in additional Washington spending. The President cannot veto this bill soon enough."

The Democrats' troop funding bill includes billions in non-military spending, including:

· $1.85 billion for crop production losses.

· $1.4 billion for livestock production losses.

· $20 million for Dairy Production Losses.

· $33 million for Livestock Indemnity Program.

· $21 million for emergency grants to low-income migrant and seasonal farm workers (Small Business Economic Loss Grant program).

· $20 million for emergency conservation program.

· $115 million for the conservation security program.

· $18 million for drought assistance in upper Great Plains/South West

· $31 million for one month extension of Milk Income Loss Contract program (MILC) - increasing farm spending by $2.4 billion over the next ten years.

· $60.4 million for salmon fisheries in the Klamath Basin region.

· $12 million for forest service money.

· $67.5 million for Salaries and Expenses for Farm Service Agency.

· $425 million for education grants for rural areas - (Secure Rural Schools program).

· $400 million for LIHEAP.

· $50 million for asbestos abatement at the Capitol Power Plant.

· $682.9 million for funding for backlog of old Department of Transportation projects.

· $500 million for wildland fire management.

· $13 million for mine safety technology research.

· $10 million for historic preservation fund.

· $35 million for NASA risk mitigation projects.