President Barack Obama charged into his presidency full of enthusiasm for plans to staff his cabinet with worthies, stimulate the economy, revise fiscal policies and eliminate wasteful government spending through earmarked amendments. Spending watchdogs noted that in the first presidential debate Obama said, “We need earmark reform, and when I am President I will go line by line to make sure that we are not spending money unwisely.”
First up was the $787 billion economic stimulus program, and if Obama sought bipartisan support he did not get it; only three Senate Republicans voted for the bill, and no House Republicans voted their approval. While the bill contained no earmarked amendments, lawmakers added a number of pet projects. Some of the items included were $25 million to build or refurbish all-terrain vehicle trails; $75 million to discourage smoking; and $20 million for the removal of small-to medium-sized fish-passage barriers.