Senate Postpones Vote on Spending Bill
WASHINGTON (CNN): The U.S. Senate postponed a planned vote on a $410 billion spending plan on Thursday, with Democratic leaders saying they would allow Republican changes to the bill to be considered after coming up just short of the support they needed.
The decision delays a dilemma for President Obama, who was not in office when the bill was being put together. He would have to choose between vetoing it, which some fellow Democrats have suggested, or signing off on a plan that contains the kind of spending projects he’s spoken out against yet provides funding for government operations.
The omnibus bill’s price tag and its nearly $8 billion for local projects &mdash so-called pork-barrel spending or earmarks — have made it a lightning rod for controversy as the government struggles with a tough economy.
