(CNN) -- As a spending bill loaded with pork makes its way through Congress, President Obama is getting pushback from members of his own party who are questioning his vow to end wasteful spending.
The Senate could vote on the spending bill as early as Thursday.
The president on Wednesday pledged turn tide on an "era of fiscal irresponsibility," reiterating his campaign promise that the days of "pork ... as a strategy" are over.
And in a prime-time address before a joint session of Congress, Obama last week praised the $787 billion stimulus package signed into law, telling the nation, "I'm proud that we passed a recovery plan free of earmarks, and I want to pass a budget next year that ensures that each dollar we spend reflects only our most important national priorities."
But some in the audience found that hard to swallow.
"There was just a roar of laughter -- because there were earmarks," said Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri.
Earmarks, sometimes called "pork," are unrelated pet projects that members of Congress insert in spending bills.
The scoffing continues as the president hammers away at reducing wasteful spending and saving taxpayers money while lawmakers on Capitol Hill load up a spending bill with more than 8,000 earmarks totaling nearly $8 billion.
Maybe Obama will establish a much needed Department of Semantics, which will determine once and for all the meanings of pesky little words like "is" and "earmarks."
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