Make use of the article to answer the questions.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A spending bill that funds the U.S. government for the rest of the budget year passed the Senate on Tuesday despite complaints about nearly $8 billion in what critics called "pork-barrel" projects.

The Senate passes a bill to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year.

Senators voted 62-35 to cut off debate on the $410 billion measure and passed it on a voice vote immediately afterward.

The omnibus spending bill includes more than 8,000 congressional "earmarks," which total almost $8 billion. The earmarks have caused critics to question President Obama's pledge to end wasteful spending, but Obama administration officials said the bill is a holdover from the previous Congress.

"It is in America's best interest to close the book on the last administration and let the new one hit the ground running," said Sen. Daniel Inouye, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. See where the money is going "

But Sen. John McCain, a longtime critic of congressional spending and Obama's Republican opponent in the 2008 election, said the vote shows "business as usual" remained the order of the day.

"If the president were serious about his pledge for change, he would veto this bill. He won't," McCain said.

The bill funds the U.S. government through September, when the 2008 budget year ends. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, postponed the vote last week because he wasn't sure supporters had the 60 votes needed to break a potential GOP filibuster.

Republican critics, led by House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio, have urged Obama to veto the bill because of the earmarks, targeted spending provisions inserted by Democratic and Republican lawmakers.

1. what kind of spending received criticism?
2. what is their total in dollars?
3. what is another term used by critics for these expenditures?
4. How long will this bill keep the government funded for?
5. who promised to curtail wasteful spending?
6. what is his excuse for the spending?
7. What does McCain think should be done with the bill?
8. Has anyone else recommended the bill be vetoed?
9. who?
10. who leads them?
11. where is he from?
12. who put the earmarks into the bill?'
13. were Democrats concerned about a filibuster?
14. how many votes did they need to avoid one?
15. in which year did McCain and Obama both run for president?
16. has McCain always been critical of too much spending?
17. how many earmarks were put in the bill?
1. congressional "earmarks"
2. almost $8 billion
3. "pork-barrel" projects
4. through the end of the fiscal year
5. President Obama
6. holdover from the previous Congress
7. presidential veto
8. yes
9. Republican critics
10. House Minority Leader John Boehner
11. Ohio
12. Democratic and Republican lawmakers
13. yes
14. 60
15. 2008
16. yes
17. more than 8,000