Bush Signs $555 Billion Spending Bill

Measure Keeps Government Running Through September, Includes $70B For Iraq, Afghanistan Wars

(CBS/AP)  President Bush on Wednesday signed a $555 billion bill that funds the Iraq war well into next year and keeps government agencies running through next September.

Mr. Bush also signed 15 other bills, including the patch to the alternative minimum tax, reports CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller.

Mr. Bush's signature on the massive spending bill capped a long-running battle with the Democratic-run Congress as he left boarded Air Force One to fly from his Maryland mountaintop retreat and flew to his Texas ranch here to see in the new year.

Mr. Bush had deep reservations about special "earmark" spending in the bill, but signed it into law nevertheless.

"The omnibus (bill) funds the government at responsible levels that the president proposed without raising taxes," White House spokesman Scott Stanzel told reporters traveling to Texas with Bush.

Stanzel said that although he signed the bill, Mr. Bush continues to be "disappointed with Congress' addiction to earmarks."

"And soon the president will outline his fiscal year 2009 budget proposal," the spokesman added, "which will hold the line on spending, keep taxes low and continue us on the path to a balanced budget."

Mr. Bush, who had used his veto power to remain relevant in the debate with Democrats on national spending priorities, had agreed to sign the measure, which includes $70 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, after winning concessions on Iraq and other budget items. The bill bankrolls 14 Cabinet departments and federal agencies and funds foreign aid for the budget year that began on Oct. 1.

Mr. Bush and his Senate GOP allies forced the Iraq money upon anti-war Democrats as the price for permitting the year-end budget deal to pass and be signed.

Democrats tried to use war spending legislation to force a change in Mr. Bush's Iraq policy, chiefly by setting a withdrawal goal with dates such as Dec. 15, 2009. But Mr. Bush and Republicans held a powerful hand. They knew Democrats would not let money lapse for troops overseas. That allowed a Bush veto in May and GOP stalling tactics to determine the outcome.

On the domestic budget, Mr. Bush's GOP allies were divided over whether the overall spending bill was a victory for their party in the long fight with Democrats over agency budgets.

Conservatives and outside watchdog groups criticized the bill for having about $28 billion in domestic spending that topped Bush's budget and was paid for by a combination of "emergency" spending, transfers from the defense budget and other maneuvers.

[liberalme]

That would be an appropriate number for the "Evil Empire"!!!

[rushman71]

Hey, at least he didn''t make it a $666 billion spending bill!!!! OOOOhh, how wicked!!! lol

[slim1h2o]

Calling ALL thieves and CRIMINALS from everywhere,, Want to Score really Big Time, Break the Bank ?? Then I suggest you start making plans to head South, straight into Texas, like Crawford Texas, with all the money Bush has stolen, you can bet you should be able to break the bank and score big time, once the idiot is back home and out of office, his driveway is probably lined with 100 dollar bills of your Tax Payer Dollars, don''''t forget CHENEY too !!!! Load up and happy Truckin , let the Crime Wave begin !!!

Posted by JetRanger7 at 08:32 AM : Dec 27, 2007

So,,,thats the way of the world (U.S) nowa days. Huh?

WE all gonna turn into a bunch theives. Well I guess that''s the only way I can get my money back. the pri(ks

[liberalme]

Your Socialist Controlled Congress funded the war again not Bush. Pinhead

Posted by hillaryin08 at 08:03 AM : Dec 27

DUH!!!! But the thief in the White House signed it!! All the time complaining because he really wanted it all for himself!!

Can''t wait for 08--get them all out of Washington--BUSH and our elected officials in Washington have sold America to China Saudi Arabia and God knows who else--its going to take us generations to bring this country back to where we should be!

[Krazcarl]

I''m not a rocket scientist but the country is broke a trillion dollar deficet so why are we funding 555 billion for a dead end war???Can''t those lazy scoundrels in the legislature impeach the worst president we ever ever had or they as stupid as he is, lets get honest.

[walt1944-2009]

The Great Emperor Bush II has signed a huge spending bill that will insure that his "adventures" in the Middle East will continue for several more months (WE MUST SUPPORT THE TROOPS!), but he also had to approve a bill loaded with "earmarks".

Although stating his displeasure at all the unnecessary spending in the bill, he signed it anyway, which raises the question: If he disapproved of this bill but signed it anyway, why did he veto such bills as SCHIP?

The only answer seems to be that the bill recently signed and loaded with "earmarks" (including the infamous Alaskan ferry to nowhere pushed for by Alaskan GOP congressmen!), was really a "thank you" from the Emperor to Congress for being so subservent to his will over the past year.

I wish I could get a "thank you" like that!

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!

[jetranger7]

Calling ALL thieves and CRIMINALS from everywhere,, Want to Score really Big Time, Break the Bank ?? Then I suggest you start making plans to head South, straight into Texas, like Crawford Texas, with all the money Bush has stolen, you can bet you should be able to break the bank and score big time, once the idiot is back home and out of office, his driveway is probably lined with 100 dollar bills of your Tax Payer Dollars, don''t forget CHENEY too !!!! Load up and happy Truckin , let the Crime Wave begin !!!

[hillaryin08]

"President Bush on Wednesday signed a ... massive spending bill."

Borrow and Spend! That''''s what''''s become of the "fiscally conservative" party. They borrow and borrow and spend and spend, and then they keep on doing it... on and on and on.

We will be paying for Bush''''s stu.pidity for several generations!


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Posted by MyIDonCBS at 09:07 PM : Dec 26, 2007

Your Socialist Controlled Congress funded the war again not Bush. Pinhead

[hillaryin08]

Don''''t Worry about a thing everybody - by April or May, BUSH & CHENEY will be asking for another "$500-Million" or more to fund their supposed war, because all the rest of the money went un-accounted for, and mis-spent, so they''''ll keep throwing Billions of your Tax Dollars to waste as long as you the American people from both parties do nothing about it !! They will come up with tons of Excuses and rhetoric to decieve you, till they break the United States and throw us into a Deep Depression, and States have to just about shut down, causing many problems thru out this country ! Just wait till the troops start coming home and find out what they were really doing while they were over there risking their lives, no wonder they don''''t want them to come home, their scared they''''ll find out the TRUTH !!!!! IMPEACH THESE 2 IDIOTS IN THE WHITE HOUSE - NOW !!!!


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Posted by JetRanger7 at 12:34 AM : Dec 27, 2007

Your Socialist Controlled Congress funded the war again not Bush. Pinhead

[hillaryin08]

So he looked at a bill that further gutted beneficial social infrastructure programs like education, interstate transportation, law enforcement, border control, but increased funding for an illegal war benefiting only his corrupt fraternity, and he signed it.

Then he left the lying about "on the road to a balanced budget" to his "spokesman", and quickly left town.

Hey president Texan, I hear you types take being called a liar and a coward rather seriously, then take this one, you are a liar, a traitor, a thief, and a "yellow" coward, and I challenge you personally to a public televised debate on why you and your co conspirators should be facing a firing squad.

I''''m calling you out, coward.


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Posted by brianbwb at 12:40 AM : Dec 27, 2007


Your Socialist Controlled Congress funded the war again not Bush. Pinhead

[hillaryin08]

ONCE AGAIN OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS CAVED TO THE ISRAELI LOBBY GROUPS AND BIG OIL TO SEND MONEY TO THE MIDDLE EAST AN PROLONG THESE WARS...

AMERICA YOU GET WHAT YOU DESERVE..

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT OR SHUT UP!


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Posted by bluestardad at 03:35 AM : Dec 27, 2007

Your Socialist Controlled Congress funded the war not Bush. Pinhead

[hillaryin08]

Keep spending that money on iraq bushy boy...Meanwhile back here at home our people cannot afford health care.Our bridges and streets are in need of repair and,the housing market is in toilet....Thank King George for keeping us safe from the boogeyman...Who cares if our country is going to hell....You have more money than you can spend...You could give a *** about the working people in this country.


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Posted by spires01 at 05:14 AM : Dec 27, 2007

Your Socialist Controlled Congress funded the war not Bush. Pinhead

[hillaryin08]

Ya know what? It is all Bushit - elected officials don''''t care squat about what americans think - or - what they want for the country. This is all about a group of the richest people in the world running America for their own ends - what ever that may be is not in the best interests of the majority of Americans.

It is all a Farce - if you think about it even our votes don''''t count - the electoral college has the final say in electing our president. Americans are like lamb being led to the butcher and our elected officials don''''t care because they are part of the problem and will Never be part of the solution.

*** all you want - it falls on deaf ears!


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Posted by watcher269 at 07:20 AM : Dec 27, 2007

Ya Know What

Your Socialist Controlled Congress funded the war not Bush. Pinhead

[watcher269-2009]

Ya know what? It is all Bushit - elected officials don''t care squat about what americans think - or - what they want for the country. This is all about a group of the richest people in the world running America for their own ends - what ever that may be is not in the best interests of the majority of Americans.

It is all a Farce - if you think about it even our votes don''t count - the electoral college has the final say in electing our president. Americans are like lamb being led to the butcher and our elected officials don''t care because they are part of the problem and will Never be part of the solution.

*** all you want - it falls on deaf ears!

[knyghtwolf]

brianbwb, I would support you 100% on that showdown and I''ll bet that IF by some miracle that this could be achieved, you would probably get MILLIONS of AMERICANS to show up for support. What I''m waiting for is other countries to start backing up certain individuals that want to rebuild America by offering military support, THAT will be interesting, especially in liberating those oil fields in Texass.

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by mbburch06

Come on back dude, it was just getting interesting...

[spires01]

Keep spending that money on iraq bushy boy...Meanwhile back here at home our people cannot afford health care.Our bridges and streets are in need of repair and,the housing market is in toilet....Thank King George for keeping us safe from the boogeyman...Who cares if our country is going to hell....You have more money than you can spend...You could give a *** about the working people in this country.

[poopusbuttus]

ONCE AGAIN OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS CAVED TO THE ISRAELI LOBBY GROUPS AND BIG OIL TO SEND MONEY TO THE MIDDLE EAST AN PROLONG THESE WARS...

AMERICA YOU GET WHAT YOU DESERVE..

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT OR SHUT UP!


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Posted by bluestardad


BLUESTARDAD -- We are doing something about it. It''s called "Creating Strategic Launching Points in Iraq and Afghanistan". Now, go away, dummy......

[bluestardad]

ONCE AGAIN OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS CAVED TO THE ISRAELI LOBBY GROUPS AND BIG OIL TO SEND MONEY TO THE MIDDLE EAST AN PROLONG THESE WARS...

AMERICA YOU GET WHAT YOU DESERVE..

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT OR SHUT UP!

[brianbwb-2009]

"You seriously think that any of these wasteful programs get cut?" Posted by mbburch06

Only an neocon with a suspicious agenda would call education a "wasteful" program, but not see the illegal wars we are now spending trillions on as such...