Warner and Webb voted for pork over safety

Everybody has heard of pork. It's no big deal. Just some side money for projects in a Senator's state. Not too much money. Right?

Well, the Good Captain has opened my eyes. How about $8 BILLION? In one bill?

Before we start blaming a lack of money, though, let's take a look at the amount of wasted funds that this Congress approved even after the bridge collapsed:

Six weeks after a fatal Minneapolis bridge collapse prompted criticism of federal spending priorities, the Senate approved a transportation and housing bill Wednesday containing at least $2 billion for pet projects that include a North Dakota peace garden, a Montana baseball stadium and a Las Vegas history museum. That's not the half of it. Total spending on transportation "earmarks" next year is likely to be about $8 billion, when legislative projects from a previously approved, five-year highway bill are factored in. (empahsis mine)

...Want to know what had to be cut from the bill in order to get the North Dakota Peace Garden? Oh, just a silly little project that would have updated technology in air-traffic control towers.

Senator Coburn attempted to pass an amendment to stop all earmarks on transportation bills until all deficient bridges had been properly updated. , defeated 82-14. 82 Senators voted for pork instead!

via Captain's Quarters:

UPDATE: Here's the list of Senators who voted in support of Dr. Coburn's amendment to suspend all earmarks until deficient bridges are repaired, or didn't cast a vote:

NAYs ---14
Barrasso (R-WY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Feingold (D-WI)
Grassley (R-IA)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
McCaskill (D-MO)

Not Voting - 4
Craig (R-ID)
Dodd (D-CT)
McCain (R-AZ)
Obama (D-IL)

Every other Senator voted to keep pork rather than fix bridges.

Where is Warner and Webb?