Spending bill includes Porter’s earmarks

WASHINGTON -- Jon Porter may be gone from Congress, but his earmarks remain.

Tucked away in the $410 billion spending bill that Congress completed last week and that President Barack Obama signed into law were four earmarks that the former House representative from Nevada put in last year, totaling $788,400.

Porter, a Republican, has since left Congress. He was defeated for re-election by Democrat Rep. Dina Titus in November. According to Taxpayers for Common Sense, Porter's earmarks were:

• $52,440 to the Southern Nevada Transit Coalition for bus facilities.

• $238,000 to the Clark County School District for teacher mentoring.

• $428,000 to Nevada State College in Henderson to buy equipment for its nursing program.

• $70,000 for Nevada Child Seekers, a nonprofit that tracks missing youngsters.

While the spending bill largely was completed before the election, Democratic leaders chose not to pass it then for risk of a veto fight with President Bush.

Instead they waited until this year, when there are more Democrats in Congress and a Democrat in the White House.