Spending bill includes $3.8B in earmarks

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- Legislation to fund U.S. federal agencies through the end of the fiscal year also has about $3.8 billion in pet projects, a review of the measure indicates.

The bill would fund most agencies that had been operating under a congressional extension of last year's budgets, due to expire next week, USA Today reported Tuesday. Congress approved full-year budgets last fall for departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs.

The House of Representatives could vote on the bill this week.

The bill introduced Monday includes specific projects added by members of Congress, a practice known as "earmarking." The $3.8 billion is down about 5 percent from the $4 billion in fiscal 2008, a House Appropriations Committee spokeswoman told USA Today.

U.S. President Barack Obama and others have said earmarks are wasteful and the president pledged to reduce the number of earmarks and the amount spent on them.

The requests include $142,500 for a museum honoring deceased House Speaker Sam Rayburn, requested by Rep. Ralph Hall, R-Texas; $300,000 for a science camp curriculum in West Virginia, sought by Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-W.Va.; and $150,000 for renovations to a theater in Rexburg, Idaho, asked for by Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, the USA Today report said.