Download all 451 pages of it, here.
A preview of some of the yummy pork (see correction below) stuck in it:
- Virgin Island and Puerto Rican Rum (Section 308)
- American Samoa (Sec. 309)
- Mine Rescue Teams (Sec. 310)
- Mine Safety Equipment (Sec. 311)
- Domestic Production Activities in Puerto Rico (Sec. 312)
- Indian Tribes (Sec. 314, 315)
- Railroads (Sec. 316)
- Auto Racing Tracks (317)
- District of Columbia (Sec. 322)
- Wool Research (Sec. 325)
Correction: I got mixed up in my initial reading of this bill. The above are not earmarks, but targeted tax cut extenders. As much as liberals would like us to believe it, tax cuts are not spending, and therefore not the same as earmarks. One can make the argument that these provisions shouldn't be included in this bill as sweeteners for House Republicans-that the bill should stand on its own for a vote-but exempting wooden arrows designed for use by children from the excise tax (Sec. 503) is not an earmark. Treating them as if they constitute spending is a liberal argument.
Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), chairman of the Republican Study Committee is not happy about the developments. Hensarling, along with many in the conservative RSC, opposed the House version of this bill:
"The Senate will attempt to pass that legislation and then leave town, putting the House in a take-it-or-leave-it position on Thursday," Hensarling wrote in the letter.
"The RSC is proposing a number of alternatives and continues to fight for a legislative package that would solve the credit crisis, protect taxpayers, and not fundamentally alter our nation's free market system."
Reports are suggesting this bill will easily pass the Senate, about 75-25, with opposition split between Republican and Democratic camps. There is talk of a press conference after its passage, which would feature both presidential candidates.
