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We List LB Projects Included in Massive Fed'l Spending Package Passed by House
(December 8. 2003) -- The House of Representatives has passed and forwarded to the Senate a mammoth $375 billion Miller Children's Hospital is slated to receive $200,000 as part of Dept. of Health and Human Services programs for construction and renovation (including equipment) of health care and other facilities, abstinence education, related services and other The omnibus federal spending package also earmarks $1 million to implement part of a federal energy bill that offers up to $2 billion in loan guarantees for a An A Sound Energy Solutions LB spokesman indicated company comment on the legislation would be subsequently conveyed.
LBReport.com downloaded the bill (roughly 1,200 pages) and thanks to computer search capability found the following:
The spending bill cleared the House 242-176...with Congressmembers Juanita Congressman Rohrabacher voted against the bill because it had too many pet pork projects, said his Capitol Hill press secretary, Aaron Lewis.
Congresswoman Congressman Ed Royce, an Orange County Republican whose includes LB's El Dorado Park Estates area, also voted against the bill.
The legislation now goes to the Senate where (as of our posting) it's uncertain if it will be considered immediately...or in January 2004.
To view the entire House recorded vote, click here.
For further on the spending bill, click Reuters national coverage.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to object to consideration of the Omnibus Appropriations bill. I am specifically concerned with provisions in this legislation that would result in the removal of overtime pay protection for many American workers. A few months ago, this House voted to instruct conferees to remove unfair provisions on overtime pay. Despite the will of a majority of Members, those provisions still remain in this bill. This does not reflect the true position of the House of Representatives. Mr. Speaker, I am referring to what has been called “the Harkin amendment.” This amendment to the FY 2004 Labor-HHS appropriations bill would stop the Department of Labor from issuing any regulation that disqualifies from overtime protection any workers who are protected under current rules. The opponents of overtime pay protection would require employees to work more than 40 hours weekly without being paid time and a half; under the proposed rules, workers would not be paid anything for their additional work. The Department of Labor claims that only 644,000 current workers will lose overtime pay benefits under the provisions of this legislation. In stark contrast, the Economic Policy Institute reports that over eight million eligible workers are earning overtime, and will be adversely affected by these regulations. This figure includes including 5.5 million workers paid hourly and 2.5 million salaried employees. We all know that we live in a time of scarce resources and few job opportunities. Therefore, this drastic pay cut, especially during the holiday season, is fundamentally unfair and wrong for American workers. Over 1.4 million Americans are also faced with the expiration of their unemployment benefits at the end of this month. We cannot in good conscience go home to celebrate the holidays with our families while unemployed Americans face a grim future and a bleak holiday season. Mr. Chairman, I urge the Members of this body to take action today that will give hope to American workers, and protect the wages they earn and extend the benefits they deserve. |