Congress OKs pet projects despite cutbacks

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Although President Barack Obama urged Congressional spending cuts, the House and Senate have voted to fund several pet projects the White House wanted chopped.

A bill approved Thursday to fund environmental programs and the Interior Department includes hundreds of earmarks, including $1.4 million for repairs at Alcatraz and $1 million for land purchases in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, among others, The Los Angeles Times said Friday.

It also includes $10 million for an anti-smog program in California that the White House wanted to terminate. But, the program has been championed by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who helped write the bill.

Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., in a separate bill, not only prevented an effort to cut funding for a highway project he increased it.

Still, White House budget officials were happy with their budget-cutting efforts, citing billions of dollars in reduced Pentagon spending.