Omnibus double whammy: The Dems’ lame-duck land grabs
Yesterday, Senate Democrats dropped their 1,924-page omnibus spending bomb on Capitol Hill. My column today reports on the other omnibus bomb up their sleeves — a massive omnibus land grab that Dingy Harry Reid vowed yesterday to bring up before the stretched-out lame-duck session ends. It’s green pork galore: “Reid’s staff sees a natural resources omnibus as a rare chance for members to bring something home to their districts and therefore worth the extra time needed to see such a large bill through to completion.”
Many of the items on the enviros’ wish list have been divvied up between the omnibus spending bill and the omnibus lands bill. (I’ve uploaded them both below for easy reference.) A San Francisco Bay restoration grant program pushed by Sen. Boxer (p. 874), Great Lakes watershed program (p. 626), Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta heritage designation (p.880), and Montana forest and watershed plan pushed by Sen. Tester (p. 897) are among the eco-goodies stuffed into the omnibus spending bill. Dozens of other land grabs have been bundled together in the omnibus lands bill, including several projects in Reid’s home state of Nevada, as I note below.
Sen. Tester’s GOP opponent summed up the transparency-evading tactics perfectly:
Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg, who many Republicans hope will run against Tester in 2012, slammed the inclusion of Tester’s bill in the spending package without undergoing a full committee hearings process in both chambers. “This is government at its worst,” Rehberg said. “These are exactly the sort of underhanded tactics the American people rejected in November. Apparently, the message didn’t get through.” He called it “a shameful attempt to force-feed Montanans another dose of big-government.”
Not just Montanans. All of us.
It’s a business-as-usual bonanza for the serial abusers of the lame-duck process.
Two words to the GOP: Stop them.
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The Dems’ lame-duck land grab
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2010
Environmentalists hate sprawl — except when it comes to the size of their expansive pet legislation on Capitol Hill.
In a last-ditch lame duck push, eco-lobbyists have been furiously pressuring Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., to pass a monstrous 327-page omnibus government lands bill crammed with more than 120 separate measures to lock up vast swaths of wilderness areas. Despite the time crunch, Senate Democrats in search of 60 votes are working behind the scenes to buy off green Republicans. House Democrats would then need a two-thirds majority to fast-track the bill to the White House before the GOP takes over on Jan. 5.
Yes, the hurdles are high. But with Reid and company now vowing to work straight through Christmas into the new year (when politicians know Americans are preoccupied with the holidays), anything is possible. The Constitution is no obstacle to these power grabbers. Neither is a ticking clock.
The Democrats’ brazen serial abuse of the lame-duck session is as damning as the green job-killing agenda enshrined in the overstuffed public lands package. Earlier this month, Reid assigned worker bees on three Senate committees — Energy and Natural Resources, Commerce, and Environment and Public Works — to draw up their public lands wish list. All behind closed doors, of course. House Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., rightly dubbed it a “Frankenstein omnibus of bills” and pointed out that the legislation “includes dozens of bills that have never passed a single committee, either chamber of Congress, or even been the subject of a hearing.”
The sweeping bill bundles up scores of controversial proposals, including:
– A stalled land transfer and gravel mining ban in Reid’s home state of Nevada.
– The designation of the Devil’s Staircase Wilderness in Oregon as a federally protected wilderness where logging and road development would be prohibited.
– Multiple watershed and scenic river designations that limit economic activity and threaten private property rights.
– The creation of massive new national monument boundaries and wilderness areas along the southern border opposed by ranchers, farmers, local officials and citizens.
One New Mexico activist, Marita Noon, said the federal plans to usurp nearly a half-million acres in her state would result in an “illegal immigrant superhighway” off-limits to border security enforcement. Security analyst Dana Joel Gattuso pointed to a recent General Accounting Office report on how environmental permitting rules and land-use regulations have hampered policing efforts at all but three stations along the border.
This jumbo green goodie bag would be a threat to financial security for untold numbers of workers in the demonized mining, logging and construction industries already reeling from economic hardship. Vigilant GOP Sen. James Inhofe has also called attention to how the Democrats’ ambitious water protection schemes would enhance the “broad, and unprecedented, scope of authority it grants EPA over state permitting programs.” In addition, restrictions on public access to newly expanded wilderness areas would hit hunters, fishermen and others in the recreation and tourism businesses.
The eco-job-killers’ timing couldn’t be worse. The Obama administration’s de facto and de jure drilling moratoria have left Gulf Coast workers in crisis. Mom-and-pop fishing operations in New England are reeling from increased regulatory burdens. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and energy czar Carol Browner’s War on the West has resulted in precipitous declines in new oil and natural gas leases on public lands. And Salazar’s recent expansion of the National Landscape Conservation System and Community Partnerships in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) — by administrative fiat — will severely curtail energy development and tourism across more than 27 million acres of federally designated wilderness, conservation areas, rivers and monuments managed and protected by the BLM.
The extreme preservationists have run amok. It’s time to fence them in.
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We’re counting on “Lame Repub’s”, God help us!
Note to Congress:
You’ve run out of other people’s money!! Quit spending. Start cutting and the very first should be your salaries and benefits!! Cut it to the average salary of our military members and get your health care among them at the nearest military facility!
Thanks Nevada…… I will never go there again.
I just hope and pray they run out of time before this crap can get passed. What kind of evil souls think it is O.K. to do this? It will destroy our country. We will be another trillion in debt, which could bring down our country’s rating and perhaps even have China calling in some of their markers. This is so freakin bad, I can’t believe even the regressives have the nerve to present this “bill”!! Apparently, we have to ALL go to DC and cuff ‘em ourselves!! They are stealing my grandkids’ money. They are lying, thieving criminals!
I wonder how this Omnibus Bill fits in with the Commerce Clause? It seems that every crazy thing they do is constitutional under that clause.
Yes, it is all going according to plan. Saul Alinsky’s plan, that is. This is nothing more than a complete takeover of our beloved country. Will we let it happen? Apparently, it is happening right now, before our eyes. Can anyone stop it? I don’t know!!!
I predict a huge increase in vigilantism in the future. When the highest law-enforcer in the land (Eric Holder)refuses to enforce the law, what is the alternative?? The rules of the Old West will return.
“Illegal immigrant superhighway,” isn’t that what we have now?
This is from the Heritage Foundation today.
Death by 1,942 paper cuts.
Indeed.
I agree. Republicans can and should run every obstructionist play in their playbook to run the clock out on the 111th Congress.
Start fresh with the newly-elected 112th Congress in January.
Legislation passed by this lame duck may be legal, but none of it is legitimate.
This Congress was denounced at the polls. If they were even just the least bit honorable, they would shut up and go home.
They are thieves and liars. They are dishonorable to the extreme.
Excellent column, Michelle.
Love the lame duck photo, but am starting to think this 111th Congress should have an elderly, rabid opossum mascot (if you think about it, Reid does look like an opossum) who scavange and turn up garbage bills against America in the dark of night.
Therefore and verily, I declare Reid and Pelosi to be the cheerleaders for the Rabid-Opossum 111th Congress.
# 10 itooktheredpill….yea just like they did last year with h/c….
Vote them out, vote them all out, and then keep them out.
Bankrupt is not a party issue.
I’m thinking (hoping!) that they understand the gravity of this a bit more now. They should have understood last year, but apparently didn’t realize the lengths this corrupt administration would go to in order to destroy our country. They now know!! Unfortunately, they don’t have as many tricks up their sleeves as the regressives do. This is a fight for our very lives! If this Congress sets the financial agenda for the entire next year, we are screwed. If they succeed in the land/food/water grab, we are screwed. We are on the brink of disaster right NOW. This has been their plan all along. Why they diddled around and didn’t get this stuff passed earlier is beyond me. Unless they feel that throwing it all in at the last minute so no one has a chance to know what is in it will work again. That is the only way they are able to get this kind of corruption passed…2,000 pages, in the dead of night, right before our holy celebration of Christ’s birth. Symbolic of the distain they have for our faith and our traditions.
#15 happyscrapper I agree 100%…
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The Western states have always “taken it in the shorts” when federal land grabs occur. The Feds already own 90 percent of my ex state–Nevada. And take over more of the Alaska and the Gulf offshore oil producing areas with stupid “environmental protection” greenie grabs.
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Many areas I used to hike, camp, hunt, shoot, and ski in in Nevada have been closed to the public in the last 40 years. When you’ve got 90 percent–how much more can you take before you’ve got it all?
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And when you leave the cities and go to the great outdoors areas in the West and in Alaska–you realize how insignificant human activities really are. More than 90 percent of our country’s area is still pristine and undeveloped.
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An old joke compared human “destruction” of the environment to a flea with rape on his mind climbing up the leg of an elephant! Bring it on.
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John Bibb
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Get ready for the 2011 GOP “Repeal and Replace” land grab bill campaign which will be synchronized with the 2012 RINO stampede for president.
They couldn’t do too much and still have a chance in the midterms.
Lame duck means fewer consequences. It’s two years until the next election and people have short memories.
Conservatives like DeMint need to hold the line against this gigantic crap sandwich of pretend Monopoly money we don’t have.
Filibust until they all leave for Christmas. Read the bill aloud, slowly, and then in Pig Latin (an appropriate way of reading this Pork Bill)until the representatives we voted for on 11/2 are sworn in (as they should be on 11/3 to prevent this shamnesty of governing).
They don’t get it, but they will soon enough. Actually they do get it, they have always gotten it, and they want to get the last of it while the gettin’s good. The American economy has always been the world’s gravy train. If not American consumers then American military protection. If not American technology then American healthcare and foreign aid. We have now been sucked dry by the world and by our own “progressive” politicians.
More and more I am seeing the need for the ressurection of old school American Revolutionaries and the much maligned French guillotine.
You’re right, John. But now that millions of us have awakened, people will have constant reminders of ALL of it! We will not let anyone forget and will make sure more people are made aware. Their secret corruption is no longer secret!!
This should be SOP for the GOP.
Were it not for the tens of millions of illegals, Reid and many others like him would not be in Congress and we would not be having this conversation right now. Stopping and reversing the illegal invasion must be the first priority. A 15% balanced budget is next. Limit unfettered access to public money and there is reduced incentive for all the criminal politicians and their allies.
Democrats doing what democrats do. Spend other people’s money and tax people to get that money. Queen Nancy and King Harry both need new Dachas on the Pacific coast, and you can’t get bribes from your constituents if you don’t shovel them some pork. BTW, republicans do it too, just not as in your face!
Obama had to put his Vacation on hold because of trouble getting the spending bill through congress. Here
Word is that Michelle is angry over the wait seeing as how they haven’t had a vacation in days. And Bill Clinton is warming up in the bullpen.
Maybe now is the time for a rule on a PART TIME CONGRESS… Well we are at it, although for most of my life I have been opposed to it, a TERM LIMITS CONGRESS… Going back to our beginnings being in CONGRESS was never meant to be a profession… When MR LINCOLN finished serving in CONGRESS he went back to Illinois and practiced his chosen profession as a lawyer… If it was good enough for GEORGE WASHINGTON and ABRAHAM LINCOLN, it should be good enough for the HAND SHAKERS occupying DC today!!!
This is precisely the sort of thing Republicans should be fighting tooth and nail against. Our government shows again and again that it’s out of control and has no responsibility whatsoever.
This is a hill to fight and die on, but of course I’d prefer we win – if we do nothing, there is virtually no hope left for us but the “hope and change” that Zero was pushing. We must keep un-electing until we can get people in the Congress who actually care more about the Country and our Constitution than spending other people’s money.
Whatever happened to Starving the Beast?? Maybe people are ready for it.
I have heard tax exempt groups (read: environmentalists) are buying up ranches and farms all over the west to set aside as wilderness too. When you factor in those along with the feds it’s not pretty. Taking them off the tax rolls, nevermind the loss in productivity we’ll play bloody heck at feeding ourselves one of these days.
I just love the way Democrat core values always means forcing others to pay for their values, or the lack thereof.
If the left were forced to tax only the people who vote for them they’d be welcome to spend as many trillions as the feel like.
Yeah, except most of the people who voted for them are on welfare.
Man, I hate Congress when it robs the people, don’t you? Why do we put up with it? We HAVE to rein in these cretins!
MELT THE PHONES!
They should hold the tax bill hostage to a short-term continuting resolution to fund the government and an immediate end to the lame duck session.
We need them to all go home!!!!1
Par for the course!
Secretly,
in the dark of night,
lies about the content,
misleading intent…
all things nefarious people do when they know what they do is
unpopular, oppressive, and/or illegal!
People like this are traitors to liberty and freedom. They must be rooted out, and dried in the sun. It’s no wonder people have no trust in government….too many in it are self-serving ideologues.
Not to defend them, but didn’t every Republic Senator and I think all but a couple Republicans in the house vote against it? I’m not sure what else they could do. The Dems (Harry and Nancy) used everything in their playbook to pass it.
Henry Gibson: But what about the buffalo?
McConnell has already cut a deal with Harry, they get their goodie bag of Porkulus, Dream Amnesty, repeal DADT and the land grab and the Republicans get a temporary extension of current tax rates.
We’re screwed if we’re counting on the GOP.
GOP-RIP
The La Raza Trail?
The monument is striking, it’s in the picturesque town of Juan McCain, Arizona – it’s a bronzed Chevy van with a dozen skeletons inside, each clutching a State of Hawaii birth certificate.
I feel a 1776 coming on!!
The GOP doesn’t have the cajones to stop the Dems.
For every 5 Dems shouting into a msn camera there is 1/2 of a Repub whispering an alternate view. The Rs should be all over this like stink on poo.
Screw the rules and just say NO F?CKING WAY ! !
What exists already isn’t being managed due to deliberate underbudgeting. Just a way to take away land from state, local and private use….and mark
for easier and more welcoming usage.
The Senate Republicans could have drawn the bill out longer by forcing Senate rules to be adhered to when it came to the waiting period between votes. Instead of doing that they caved so that they could get out of DC before Christmas.
They ought to just tell Reid that they are fillibustering any and all legistlation from here until Jan 5th, so he might as well just adjourn for the holidays. Of course that wont happen and it will be the American public that will get screwed once again so that these “public servants” can get home for the holidays.
The R’s in Congress do not need any help from the D’s in destroying their chances in 2012…they are doing a great job all on their own.
The radical leftists (you know, the leadership of both Democratic parties) are redefining their position as being “no label centrist”. The Dems are being attacked from the left and center and the Assist Dems are being attacked from the center and right. When the dirty deed is done, they will unite in the “center” and give themselves a medal for resisting the “extremists” of from all sides.
And we are falling for it.
Hate to break it to you, they are the stink on poo!
Ha! Funny, but sadly true.
The “stink on poo” are stiff arming conservatives until they can take over the leadership of the entire Democratic party. They are losing their grip on the Assistant Dem party and need a place to go. Lucky for them, the Dems are vacating. For now.
Don’t know if someone stated this earlier, but apparently Jim DeMint is forcing a reading of START and the Omnibus bill according to The Hill. This will take 50 – 80 Hours,
Rs always play nice and support losers like murkowski (RNSC) -so-
I’m not holding my breath that the weaklings will do anything to “stop them”-
It will be business a usual – be ‘nice’
C-CS
Don’t know if someone stated this
DeMint also has called for a reading of the 2000 page
OmnibusOminous funding bill on the senate floor HERE That would take about 40 hours.According to GallupHERE, The Congressional job approval is now down To their family and friends.
Time to arrest the traitors. We are being sold out with every dollar they spend. No wonder the Chinese are so willing to loan our gov money. We are being purchased by the Chinese. We are becoming serfs to China. If congress doesn’t stop the spending, they will be sold out as well.
Jim DeMint and seantor Coburn are fighting to have these two bills read on the floor. Dems are furious. Keep your fingers crossed!!
Exactly. Pigs and other people’s money: never a good combination.
Tar and feathers seems like a tame reaction to this treason….
No bill should be too big to be read on the floor. They should demand EVERY bill be read.
and rumor has it they are going to try to tuck the nightmare act into one of these huge bills to try to sneak it by the voters…disgusting little morons that they are…watch what both hands are doing, they CAN NOT be trusted!!!
This is all simply unbelievable to me…
If these evil Communists snuck a line into one of these huge bills making obama President for life, are there even enough Republicans with enough balls to even object to that?? Or would they say there was nothing they could do about it and try to make the best of it???
Thunderhawk,
I seriously doubt it, McCain et al are too concerned about comity to object to anything.
He was never eligible in the first place.
No one had the guts to say so.
After he gets 30 million undocumented Democrats documented, he will be President for life.
How do you know they didn’t? Nobody reads these bills. They have no idea what’s in them.
Hey # 52
You are right. The Rs have always “played nice”. And where has it gotten them? Second place.
The general public could care less about what goes on in politics. They just want their free handouts.
Did you hear where Steele took credit for all of the wins on 11/02? Wonder how many in the RNC will believe him at their January meeting of the minds?
*sigh* I keep trying to tell people what’s going on, and they don’t listen. TV, facebook, and ipads are the opiate of the m/asses.
they are talking about the earmarks with mccain on fox news right now and of course he’s got on his conservative face, but I’m not surprised they dismissed Michelle Malkin before he got there, God forbid someone call that rino out for his amnesty leanings which are no less than an ILLEGAL immigrant EARMARK!!!
Just like Nancy Piglosi marching through the crowd of Tea Party protestors, the Dirty Socialist democrats have flipped the bird at all of America. It was said a while ago, these vermin will stop at nothing until what was once our Republic is burned to the ground. I despise these Socialist vermin and all their ilk.
So, why the H didn’t someone do that with the Obamacare bill??? If just one person has the power to demand the reading, why not do that for every bill?? Could Obamacare have been defeated??
Dim asks for $48m earmark for inner cities…lovely…
http://biggovernment.com/jhoft/2010/12/16/unbelievable-democrat-asks-for-48-billion-earmark-to-redistribute-wealth-to-inner-cities/
ooops my bad that’s $48 billion not million…Wilkow just did a breakdown of the numbers..equals out to about $77k per individual in that district…wow…how long before all reps start doing this??
If they followed their duty, yes.