| Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 | |
| Fullname: | Making omnibus appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes. |
| Enacted By: | 111th |
| Effective Date: | March 11, 2009 |
| Public Law Url: | http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-111publ8/content-detail.html |
| Cite Public Law: | 111.8 |
| Leghisturl: | http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:HR01105:@@@S |
| Introducedin: | House of Representatives |
| Introducedby: | Dave Obey (D–WI) |
| Introduceddate: | February 23, 2009 |
| Committees: | House Committee on Appropriations, House Committee on the Budget |
| Passedbody1: | House of Representatives |
| Passeddate1: | February 25, 2009 |
| Passedvote1: | 245-178 |
| Passedbody2: | Senate |
| Passeddate2: | March 10, 2009 |
| Passedvote2: | voice vote |
| Signedpresident: | Barack Obama |
| Signeddate: | March 11, 2009 |
| Amendments: | Credit CARD Act of 2009 |
The Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 is an Act for the United States government that combines bills funding the operations of each of the Cabinet departments, except Defense, Homeland Security, and Veteran Affairs into a single appropriation bill. It was signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 11, 2009.[1]
The House of Representatives version of the bill includes $410 billion in spending.[2] This includes a 21 percent increase to a program that feeds infants and poor women, an 8 percent increase to the Section 8 voucher program, a 13 percent increase to the Agriculture Department, a 10 percent increase in Amtrak subsidies, a 10 percent increase in Congress's budget, a 12 percent increase in the Department of State budget and foreign aid, and eliminated spending for the Millennium Challenge Corporation.[2]
The watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense identified over 8,500 earmarks totaling $7.7 billion (1.9% of the bill's total), including $22 million for the John F. Kennedy Library, dozens of grants to assist states and counties prevent the spread of methamphetamine use, and $200,000 for the removal of tattoos from gang members.[2] [3]
The bill passed the House by a vote of 245-178 (including 16 Republicans[4]) and the Senate 62-35 (including 8 Republicans[5]).
An amendment to the bill bans federal funding of "research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death." Two days prior to signing the bill, Obama had lifted a ban on federal funding of such research.[6]