Republicans Criticize, Help Inflate Bill

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http://www.click2houston.com/news/18830586/detail.html

Republican congressmen derided the massive $410 billion spending bill approved by the House of Representatives last week, but some like Houston-area Rep. Ron Paul contributed to its size.

Paul, of Lake Jackson, managed to insert 22 earmarks worth $96.1 million into the bill, leading the Houston delegation, according to an analysis of more than 8,500 congressionally-mandated projects in the bill by the Houston Chronicle.

The so-call "omnibus" bill, which passed the House on a 245-178 vote, with only 16 Republicans in support, was chock-full of congressmen's pet projects for their districts.

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Second to Paul in the Houston delegation was Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston, who tallied $63.6 million in earmarks.

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Rep. Ted Poe, R-Humble, whose nine earmarks totaled $32.1 million, said they "allow lawmakers to have a say in how taxpayer dollars (are) spent."

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John Cornyn, helped arrange at least 53 earmarks worth nearly $200 million.

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Texas' U.S. senators were active as well. Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison led the state with 104 earmarks worth about $250 million in the House version of the bill.