Earlier today, the U.S. Senate passed, by a 57-35 margin, a $446.8 billion omnibus bill (plus $650 billion in mandatory funding for Medicare and Medicaid) that "combined six separate spending bills and will keep federal agencies operating through Sept. 30." Both of Virginia's U.S. Senators, Jim Webb and Mark Warner, both voted "aye". With that, the bill goes to President Obama for his expected signature. ABC News points out that the bill contained "more than 5,000 earmarks sought by both Democrats and Republicans," something that Sen. John McCain has criticized repeatedly as "pork." It is important to note, however, that all of these earmarks combined add up to just $4 billion, less than 1% of the discretionary spending in the omnibus and under 0.4% if you count all the spending in the bill. That's very little in relative terms, and my bet is that the majority of the money goes to worthwhile projects, but it's so much easier for Republicans like John McCain to rant and rave ("get off my lawn!!!") and say "no" to everything than to actually help get things done.
