WASHINGTON - Legislation to fund many of the nation's health, education and social programs went down to a startling defeat in the House Thursday, led by Democrats who said cuts in the bill hurt some of America's neediest people.
The 224-209 vote against the $142.5 billion spending bill disrupted plans by Republican leaders to finish up work on this year's spending bills and cast doubt on whether they would have the votes to pass a major budget-cutting bill also on the day's agenda.
Democrats, unanimous in opposing the legislation, said it included the first cut in education funding in a decade and slashed spending for several health care programs. "It betrays our nation's values and its future," said House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland. "It is neither compassionate, conservative nor wise."
Republicans said they may have lost votes because this year's bill, down $1.5 billion from last year, included no special projects or earmarks for lawmakers. "You take those out and you lose the incentive," said Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., who voted for the bill.
Twenty-two Republicans voted against the measure, many of them moderates who also are swing votes on the budget-cutting legislation.
So let me get this straight: The House decided not to cut government spending because the spending legislation in question did not include enough spending for pet pork barrel projects to provide incentive? So, in other words, the only way we can cut government spending is if we increase spending on these other projects?
Sometimes the politics of this country makes me sick.
You can see who voted for and against here.
Update:
Apparently Rep. Tom Reynolds (R - NY) is organizing some kind of House coup against current Republican leadership. I hope it is true. Crap like that described above has got to stop.