BY THE NUMBERS: DEMS’ LAST-MINUTE, $1.1 TRILLION SPENDING BILL CONTINUES WASHINGTON’S JOB-KILLING SPENDING BINGE   GOP URGES PRESIDENT OBAMA TO VETO RECKLESS SPENDING BILL, REAFFIRMS PLEDGE TO IMMEDIATELY CUT SPENDING IN JANUARY December 15, 2010 | House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) | Permalink While millions of Americans are struggling to make ends meet this holiday season, Senate Democrats proved just how out-of-touch they are yesterday by unveiling a $1.1 trillion-dollar spending bill loaded with thousands of earmarks costing billions of taxpayer dollars.   Democrats are hoping to ram the bill through Congress this week, seeing it as “their last chance at delivering pork before serious fiscal belt tightening begins next year.”  This latest 1,924-page spending monstrosity is nothing less than an insult to the American people who have been pleading with Democrats in Washington to stop their job-killing out-of-control spending spree and focus on creating jobs. With the unemployment rate near 10 percent and the national debt climbing by the day, it is clear that America’s economy cannot afford for Democrats’ reckless spending binge to continue.  Here is a by-the-numbers look at how Democrats’ latest spending spree will add to their already-extensive record of fiscal failure: 6,600: Total number of earmarks in the Senate Democrats’ pork-laden omnibus spending bill. (The Hill, 12/14/10) 1,924: Number of pages in the Senate Democrats’ pork-laden omnibus spending bill.  (The Washington Post, 12/15/10) $575.13 Million: Amount of spending per page in the Senate Democrats’ pork-laden omnibus spending bill. (The Washington Times, 12/14/10) $78 Billion: Amount of taxpayer money that would be saved if Congress would adopt the Republicans’ plan to cut spending back to pre-‘stimulus,’ pre-bailout levels as outlined in the Pledge to America. (Pledge to America, Accessed 12/15/10) $1 Billion: Funding included in the omnibus bill for the implementation of Democrats’ job-killing health care law, including $176 million to implement Medicare Advantage cuts.  (The Hill, 12/14/10) 20,785: Number of earmarks President Obama signed into law his first two years in office.  (Taxpayers for Common Sense, 2/17/10) 84 Percent: Increase in non-defense discretionary government spending since President Obama took office. (House Budget Republicans, 6/4/10) $3.22 Trillion: Amount added to the debt on President Obama and Washington Democrats’ watch. (U.S. Department of the Treasury, Accessed 12/15/10) 0: Number of budgets passed by Democrats this year. In a weekly address last month, President Obama said “we cannot afford” any more wasteful earmarks and promised to “shine a light on a bad Washington habit that wastes billions of taxpayer dollars.”  Now it is time for the President to prove that his words are more than just the hollow political rhetoric the American people have come to expect from Washington Democrats.   Earlier this week, Speaker-designate John Boehner (R-OH) called on President Obama to veto the massive, pork-laden spending bill that “represents exactly what the American people have rejected: more spending, more earmarks, and more big government.”  From the GOP Leader Blog: “We don’t have to wait until January to listen to the people and honor their demands for smaller, more accountable government.  This is a chance for President Obama to show his support for an earmark ban wasn’t just post-election me-tooism, but rather an indication of the change in course the American people are demanding.  As he said today, ‘my hope is that we’re going to continue rebuilding a trust in government.’  Think about how much harder that would be if President Obama refuses to oppose Senate Democrats’ pork-laden omnibus spending bill and breaks his promise to crack down on earmarks – again.” A PLEDGE TO AMERICA. Last month, House Republicans voted to extend their unilateral earmark moratorium in the next Congress, demonstrating their commitment to reforming the way Washington works, just as Americans are demanding.  And, with their Pledge to America, Republicans laid out a plan to cut spending and reduce the size of government by: cancelling unspent ‘stimulus’ funds, cutting government spending to pre-‘stimulus,’ pre-bailout levels, establishing a hard cap on new discretionary spending, cutting Congress’ budget and holding weekly votes on spending cuts.  On January 5th, with Democrats gone from power in the House, the new majority will begin moving immediately to deliver on this pledge. REPUBLICAN LEADER PRESS OFFICE REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH) H-204, THE CAPITOL (202) 225-4000 | GOPLEADER.GOV