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• President Barack Obama signed an omnibus spending bill that set the budget for 12 Cabinet departments and several other agencies on March 11, 2009. The $410-billion omnibus spending bill was passed in the U.S. Senate on March 10, 2009. The bill has been criticized for containing $7.7 billion in earmarks.Los Angeles Times: Obama will sign $410-billion spending bill (March 10, 2009)

• Fast Facts

  1. Omnibus spending bills sets the budget of several departments in the U.S. government at once
  2. An omnibus spending bill of $410 billion was passed by the U.S. Senate on March 10, 2009
  3. Bill passed 62-35
  4. Senators Joe Lieberman and Bernie Sanders abstained from voting on the bill
  5. Obama signed the bill on March 11, 2009NPR: Congress Sends Huge Spending Bill To Obama (March 10, 2009)
  6. Bill contains funding for 12 Cabinet departments and several other agenciesLos Angeles Times: Obama will sign $410-billion spending bill (March 10, 2009)
  7. The bill has been criticized for its $7.7 billion in earmarksLos Angeles Times: Obama will sign $410-billion spending bill (March 10, 2009)
  8. Includes more than 8,000 congressional earmarksCNN: Reid predicts senators will pass overdue spending bill (March 10, 2009)
  9. Most Republicans have opposed the billNPR: Congress Sends Huge Spending Bill To Obama (March 10, 2009)
  10. Bill includes funding for many government agencies through the end of the fiscal yearCNN: Reid predicts senators will pass overdue spending bill (March 10, 2009)
  11. The budgets would have been determined last year, but was delayedCNN: Reid predicts senators will pass overdue spending bill (March 10, 2009)
  12. Democrats and President George W. Bush could not reach an agreement on the budget last yearCNN: Reid predicts senators will pass overdue spending bill (March 10, 2009)

• Criticism

  The bill has been criticized for its $7.7 billion in earmarks. Senator John McCain added an amendment that would have stripped the bill from most earmarked, but the amendment did not pass. CNN: Reid predicts senators will pass overdue spending bill (March 10, 2009)Obama had said he opposes earmarks, but still signed the bill. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said on March 10, 2009, that Obama would sign the bill because he considers it an old issue that should have been resolved before he came into office and because the bill is essential.Los Angeles Times: Obama will sign $410-billion spending bill (March 10, 2009) The budget issues in the bill would have been determined during the presidency of George W. Bush, but Democrats and Bush failed to reach an agreement on the budgets.KESQ: Congress approves massive spending bill (March 10, 2009) Obama signed the bill in private.San Francisco Chronicle: Obama signs 'imperfect' spending bill in private (March 11, 2009)

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  2009 Stimulus Package | Barack Obama | U.S. Senate | Earmarks | John McCain | Harry Reid | Mitch McConnell | AIG Bonuses

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