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Obama signs big spending bill despite earmarks

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-03-12 09:48

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama on Wednesday signed a US$410 billion bill to fund most government operations through September 30, but warned the US Congress must stop jamming spending bills with lawmakers' pet projects.

US President Barack Obama speaks on earmark reform March 11, 2009 at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House in Washington, DC. Obama declared war on lawmakers who stuff bills with expensive pet projects, despite defying Republican veto demands by signing a measure packed with thousands of them. [Agencies]

"Let there be no doubt: this piece of legislation must mark an end to the old way of doing business, and the beginning of a new era of responsibility and accountability," Obama said in discussing his decision to sign the controversial measure.

"I am signing an imperfect ... bill because it's necessary for the ongoing functions of government, and we have a lot more work to do. We can't have Congress bogged down at this critical juncture in our economic recovery," he said.

Obama outlined a plan that would enable lawmakers to continue to earmark spending with a "legitimate and worthy public purpose," but would make the process more transparent and offer opportunities for public feedback before approval.

Related readings:  US Congress OKs $410b spending bill  US Senate bogs down over $410b spending bill  Obama signs $787B stimulus bill into law

Arizona Senator John McCain, Obama's Republican rival in the 2008 election and an outspoken critic of pet spending projects known as earmarks, dismissed Obama's comments, calling them "his usual excellent rhetoric" but saying the message was "virtually meaningless" and "toothless."

"What he should have done was say he was going to veto this bill, that he wanted the US$8 billion in earmarks removed and then he would sign it," McCain said.

Obama, who criticized earmarked spending during his presidential campaign, went behind closed doors to sign the US$410 billion spending bill, which was approved by the Democratic-controlled Congress following a contentious debate.

The legislation, which will fund the departments of transportation, agriculture and others, was approved despite Republican objections to the price tag.

"In just 50 days, Congress has voted to spend about US$1.2 trillion," said Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the US Senate. "To put that in perspective, that's about US$24 billion a day, or about US$1 billion an hour -- most of it borrowed."

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