Omnibusting: Omnibus Spending Bill, Earmarks, Pork and Budget Gimmicks

The White House has claimed victory in its battle with Congress over policy riders in the bill. While many have been stripped from the omnibus, others remain. Here’s a list of some of the more troubling policy changes:

• Immigration and Secure Borders: The omnibus includes new restrictions that will delay and in some cases prevent construction of the full border fence, including: removing all specific locations included in the Secure Fence Act; requiring excessive consultation with numerous government officials prior to construction and requiring an explanation for why each 15-mile segment of fencing is necessary rather than an alternative security measure. Finally, the bill excludes an amendment adopted by the House four different times that would prevent the awarding of any government contract to an entity that does not participate in the E-Verify System, or basic pilot on the internet.

• English in the Workplace: The omnibus excludes Senate-passed and House-supported language that would ensure that employers are not subject to government-funded lawsuits for requiring English in the workplace (e.g. Salvation Army).

• Plan Colombia Cuts: The omnibus cuts $93 Billion in military assistance under Plan Colombia from President’s request, meaning that fixed-wing and helicopter interdiction programs critical to the success of Plan Colombia are likely to be curtailed or stopped entirely. Development aid and counter narcotics work are largely dependent upon the Colombian government’s ability to get manpower and resources into otherwise unreachable areas.

• Assistance to North Korea: The omnibus provides $53 million for energy-related assistance to North Korea without requiring any concessions by the North Koreans on their nuclear activities.

• Cuba Restrictions Weakened: While not expressly authorizing counter-narcotics cooperation with Cuba, the Omnibus does omit the prohibition on such efforts which has been carried in previous years.

• Abstinence Funding: The omnibus repeals the requirement in existing law that 33% of Global HIV/AIDS funding be expended for abstinence-until-marriage programs.

• Restricting U.S. Energy Sources: The omnibus prohibits funding for oil shale commercial regulations. Without these regulations, commercial production of the United States’ 2 trillion barrels of oil shale resources is impossible.

• Reducing Funds for States’ Energy Production: The onshore states’ share of revenues from federal oil and gas production is reduced by 2% from 50% to 48%. This breaks a longstanding 50/50 partnership between the Federal government and states.

Hat Tip: House Minority Leader Roy Blunt