Stories about items of dubious merit being tucked into appropriations bills at the last minute are all too familiar. But my nose is particularly wrinkled now.
Tucked away in fine print in the military spending bill for this past year was a lump sum of $20 million to pay for a celebration in the nation's capital "for commemoration of success" in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Not surprisingly, the money was not spent.
Now Congressional Republicans are saying, in effect, maybe next year. A paragraph written into spending legislation and approved by the Senate and House allows the $20 million to be rolled over into 2007.
Read the whole story, where you'll find other gems, like this:
A spokesman for the Republican-controlled Senate Armed Services Committee said it was protocol not to identify sponsors of such specific legislation.
So much for a government accountable to its citizens.
[Update: 2006-10-05]: Evidently, someone was listening to this grumbling. The office of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) fessed up yesterday. (source)
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