appropriations.house.gov

Rep Cmte Appropriations
Contact: Jennifer Hing 202-226-7007


Fuzzy Math and Funny Rules - Democrats seek to hide true cost of supplemental spending bill

, May 7 -

Fuzzy Math and Funny Rules – 

Democrats seek to hide true cost of supplemental spending bill

 
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Even as Republican Appropriators continue their protest of emergency war supplemental process today, the Democrat leadership has gone yet another step further to hide the truth about the size of this massive funding bill from the American public.

In addition to crafting this supplemental legislation behind closed doors out of public view, subverting the normal and proper democratic processes of the House, and circumventing their own PAYGO rules, the Democrat leadership has now released misleading information about the true cost of this enormous supplemental spending bill.

House Democrats yesterday told members of the press that the war supplemental bill would cost approximately $184 Billion. The Democrat leadership has scheduled a vote on this bill for tomorrow, but only a small handful of Democrat Members and staff have seen the text of the legislation. If the bill contains all the various provisions that the Democrats yesterday said are included, the actual total cost to the American taxpayers would be as high as $245 Billion.

The bill would include:

$96.6 billion for the military in fiscal year 2008 

$66 billion for the military in fiscal 2009

$51.1 Billion total costs over 10 years for enhanced educational benefits for veterans and related administrative costs

$11 billion total costs in extended unemployment compensation

$9 Billion in funding for the State Department, USAID, and other foreign assistance operations and programs overseas

$500 million in increased funding over the President's request for international food aid

$7.7 billion in military quality of life initiatives

$5.8 billion in funding for Louisiana levees

$200 million in funding for the Bureau of Prisons

$200 million in funding to fund shortfalls related to the Census

GRAND TOTAL = $ 248 BILLION*