July 28th, 2008, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today praised the Republican members of the U.S. Senate for blocking an $11.3 billion Reid Omnibus Spending Bill.
The Senate voted 52-40 in favor of cloture to begin debate on the legislation, which has been bundled together by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), failing to reach the three-fifths necessary to move forward with the bill.
“This is a good day for the American taxpayer, who will not be bilked by creating 35 new federal programs. And it also a good day for the American consumer, as there is a growing number of members in the Senate that want to focus solely on addressing America’s energy crisis before any other business is attended to,” Wilson added.
“Americans for Limited Government would like to commend Senator Tom Coburn, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and all of the members of the Senate that voted to filibuster the $11.3 billion Reid Omnibus Spending Bill,” said Wilson.
“Majority Leader Reid attempted to sneak this legislation through while nobody was looking. But thanks to the efforts of journalists nationwide—print, TV, radio, and the blogosphere—who brought this important issue to the attention of the American people, it was defeated” he added. “It proves that when the American people are informed about the waste that is going on in Washington, that a loud chorus of voices can defeat that waste.”
The Reid Omnibus Spending Bill would include such items as $1.5 billion for the D.C. Metro, $12 million for a greenhouse in Maryland, and $17 million for captive primate safety.
“This is an important battle that has been won, but the war is not over. We will continue to pressure Congress to focus on addressing the energy crisis now,” said Wilson.
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