Associated Press
The House GOP leadership is supposed to prevent votes like today's.
Even by the standards of House Republicans, this was a rather extraordinary vote.
The House voted Thursday to override steep cuts to the Pentagon's budget mandated by last summer's debt deal and replace them with spending reductions to food stamps and other mandatory social programs.
While doomed in the Senate and opposed by the White House, the legislation, which would reduce the deficit by $243 billion, is a Republican marker for post-election budget talks with the White House.
Zero Democrats voted for the bill, and the proposal went too far for 16 House Republicans, who broke ranks and voted with Dems.
Now, I know what some of you are thinking: House Republicans voted to hurt the poor; it's hardly unusual. But this one's worth appreciating in more detail, because the GOP took an enormous election-year risk with this unusually callous proposal, and Democratic attack ads will write themselves.
House Republicans proposed major cuts to the Defense budget as part of the debt-ceiling fiasco from last summer. They didn't want the cuts, but they proposed the military reductions as a way to create an incentive for themselves to reach a bipartisan debt-reduction deal. But then GOP policymakers ran into a different problem: they didn't want a bipartisan debt-reduction deal and they didn't want their own proposed punishment.
Which leads us to this new proposal. To offset the Pentagon cuts Republicans proposed but no longer support, the House GOP voted to find all of the savings by taking from programs that benefit struggling workers and families. Today's measure is nothing short of brutal, slashing food stamps, nearly eliminating job-training programs, eliminating health care subsidies, slashing the child tax credit, and taking school meals from 200,000 low-income children.
And all of this would come on top of the spending cuts Democrats already agreed to as part of the same debt-ceiling deal.
It's almost as if House Republicans want to collectively personify C. Montgomery Burns.
The GOP isn't just giving the appearance of cruel villains, they're fighting to literally take food away from poor children to avoid cutting a massive Pentagon budget by even a penny.
And best of all, they passed this measure today for no practical reason -- House Republicans know full well the Senate will never pass this and President Obama will never accept it. In theory, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and other GOP leaders are supposed to protect their caucus from ridiculous election-year votes like these, but instead, Republicans did all of this on purpose, knowing their callousness couldn't pass anyway.
It's not only madness from a policy perspective, it's also playing with fire from an electoral perspective. As Jonathan Bernstein explained earlier this week:
The real mystery is why Republicans are constantly voting on bills containing unpopular provisions (attacking the child tax credit???), especially since these votes are merely symbolic. It's possible that it's because they believe their own rhetoric and mistakenly believe voters will reward them for "courage." It's possible that inexperienced Members simply trust [Paul] Ryan, and that he doesn't think his agenda is unpopular. But whatever the motive, it's hard to see what the House GOP is up to as anything other than a repeated unforced error that Democrats will likely exploit during the fall campaign.
The only folks happier than right-wing activists about today's vote? The DCCC.
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This move has nothing to do with national security since the Pentagon has already stated that cuts can be made without jeopardizing security. It is all about private defense contractors and their profits. Follow the campaign contributions.
Also, Dems should be prepared for Republicans who will try to extend the Bush tax cuts without paying for them. This is how Dems can make the Republicans the party of big spenders by the elections. Obama should use the same argument to threaten a veto of the tax cuts being renewed. Dems can turn the deficit back on the Republicans.
I think the incidents of last week proved a point also . It is good police work, intelligence and inter department cooperation that defeats terrorism, not tanks and bombs.
Remember all the Arabic translators the Bush Neocons got rid of because the had the Gay .
Why do they hate America
Republicans are going to argue that the Dems are soft on defense based on this vote, but Obama has neutralized this argument. When Obama talks about Bin Laden and the drones, no one will pay attention to the Republicans claiming Dems are soft on defense. The Republicans are spinning their wheels trying to create an issue that used to work for them.
It would be worth it to find out why the Taliban and Al Quieda hate. I'm sure Hillary knows why.
Yeah, one could easily conclude the House Republicans want to starve to death our poor and disadvantaged while preserving the advantage our military already has regarding the firepower necessary to kill, out right, citizens of foreign nations!
Sounds like the political priorities of a craven, cruel, xenophobic and cult like crowd! Let's just call such a crowd the modern Republican party! -Kevo
I think the logic goes like this:
Well, it sounds like North Korea. Build up the military and starve the masses (poor-elderly-children). Not sure how that works for the election, but they terrify me for the future of the good old USA.
Low life Republicans, like a pack of mad dogs! Sick-o's
Has anyone noticed that the GOP is not looking healthy lately.
UTTERLY DISGRACEFUL.
This is embarrassing. I have my own issues with how social programs are funded but this "DO NOTHING" Congress really needs to be stopped. This is what the Occupy people should be going after. I can't believe these people!
The slavery that would result would be that of the poor. "Can't pay taxes because you have no income? Well, you are sentenced to work for free for whoever wants to buy your tax debts."
Are they really attack ads at this point? It seems a lot like the republican's are putting a gun in their mouth and asking the democrats to pull the trigger for them.
Can't wait to see the ads. Literally taking food from the mouths of children!
If Republicans are NOT trying to provoke civil unrest by slashing public benefits and bankrupting the nation with handouts to the rich and defense spending then what the heck ARE they doing?
Maybe they figure that with the NRA on their side, civil unrest will work for them.
We now know they are trying to kill the middle class and the poor and maybe some other rich folks, I don't know. But, now that the cats' out of the bag wouldn't you think they would stop. If they are that self centered that's fine, but, they do not need to be in charge of any public office. They are not helping the public they have failed miserably and should be fired. They have enough money to live happily for the rest of their lives now let us live happily for the rest of our lives and leave public office. They do not belong there, a home on the golf resort terrace is more their style. They should go home and shove their silver spoons where the sun doesn't shine. We should demand equality for all. Amen and Amen
They do think that indeed. They claim the "government fears an armed populace" as if the military will flee in fear from a bunch of pot-bellied middle-aged guys running around with pistols. They say so straight out "guns defend liberty". This goes clear to the top with leading Republican officials knuckling under to NRA lies. It also goes to the top with huge funding for DHS "domestic security" which they believe will protect the property of the rich and their agents in the government when the public rises up. That's what they think but it won't work. Fascists always believe their own lies. When push comes to shove, which is exactly where we are headed, they are the ones to get stomped.
Shame on you House GOP! For those of you professing to be such 'holier-than-thou' Christians, I cannot imagine a more hateful attitude. I, personally, abhor organized religion (mostly, for reasons such as this), but I PRAY that all of you become the camel that gets pushed through the eye of the needle. One can only hope for karmic justice.
Jesus was an advocate of the poor.
Note to religions and evangelists supporting the Republicans, the Democrats are much more Christian in this regard.
Kudos to the Catholic religion for admonishing the Republicans for their attacks on the poor.
GOP remind me of Scrooge who when asked to donate to the poor said: "are there no work-houses, are there no prisons".
GOP = Government Of Privileged!
Exactly, it's funny how old movies or old songs come back to haunt us. They all have a place in history and that is teaching us right from wrong or good from evil.
The difference between today's republicant (sic) party and Nazis- the republicants don't have a charismatic leader. Just goes to show how much damage a dedicated group of drones can do.
We all need to look in the mirror. History does repeat itself. Perhaps we will get the true story of history this time. What really happened prior to World War II. Nobody knows because nobody told the truth back then. But, the boys we send either came back as madmen or not at all. When can we have our sons back? Can we ever? When can we stop playing war it really isn't any fun I would rather play music or write a story. Bear arms means strength not I am going to carry my gun to the mall and if anyone looks at me funny, I will shoot them and ask questions later. Do these politicians have any common sense?
Well, I can say this with personal certainty, at least: The difference between the "Visions for America" of the two parties has never been more clear.
How predictably Dikensian of them, the little darlings.
How predictably dickish, I think you mean.
The repubs who voted for this will be able to go home to their non-questioning constituents and explain that they were trying to trim the fat from bloated and culture-of-dependency inducing government programs and that they were BOLD and at least TRIED something. yay, awesome job.
Unfortunately you are entirely right about that. Most of these pricks don't have to worry about being voted out because they're in such safe suburban or rural districts.
Perhaps the GOP dislike Mitt as much as I do. They are willing to throw this election and point to 2016. If they maintain control of the house they will stall anything POB tries for another term and they could have a landslide in 4 yrs. None of the GOP usual suspects are hurting for money so they can wait. Vultures and hyenas are patient scavengers, so they need to be chased off now.
And for their next act - the Snidely Whiplash party will tie poor children to train tracks to decrease the surplus population.
In a way this is encouraging. I attended a meeting this morning of a group of volunteers who do work for a local shelter for abused women and for low income seniors and disabled people who have already lost benefits.
I live in an extremely conservative area and most people I know here are republican and have been for many years. I'm not the only liberal but am arguably the most vocal. For a change, I did not have much to say this morning because three of the most conservative of this group were absolutely horrified at this "irresponsible" act by the Republicans in Congress as noted by one. Another called it "disgraceful" and one very quiet lady, who rarely says much but is a tireless worker, vigorously stated she felt our Representative did not deserve his seat in Congress and she, for one, did not intend to vote for him in November.
I think that those jerks in Congress have forgotten that many conservatives are also kind and compassionate and when they see first hand the results of these ridiculous votes on real human beings, they are going to avoid being tarred by the same brush.
I like how they always stick the latest "Token Female" Cathy McMorris-Rogers there in the background, next to Cantor.
I wonder if these supposed Christians remember what Jesus said: "Whoever does this to the least of my brethren does it to me" (or words to that effect).
They may remember, but they do not take it seriously. Either that, or they really hate Jesus.
I truly doubt ANY of the GOP have cracked open a bible for a great while let alone read parts/any of its pages. Though they may be thumping out the Hawaiian Drum Song on its cover, they certainly cannot infer they care even for the Golden Rule...Do Unto Others as You would...etc...In the long run, what they inevitably want is POTUS gone. Unless we, the 99% 'ers can rid ourselves of them FIRST!!! Hopefully, most of us will be able to keep our individual VOTING RIGHT til after the November election to basically fix this travesty. BUT, if we fail....then, it won't only be Pres.Obama...gone. Systematically, ANYONE needing state/federal aid will get the boot. I shudder to think of the numbers that will suffer..This behavior is Christian???
Children who are denied school breakfast and lunch can't vote, older house bound people can't vote easily, some can't get the necessary papers, some can't get to the DMV, bye bye meals on wheels, people on food stamps and Medicaid often have to move from their homes or spend time waiting for housing in shelters so they can't get the proper identification, disabled people have the same problems being allowed to vote or getting to the polls as everyone else so they are easy prey for the Republicans, they can't fight back. That is why it is so necessary that everyone that can get a ballot in Nov. votes and we all help get people to the polls. We who can may be safe today but remember "There but for the grace of God go I."
Not only is this action inhumane, it is also a dishonorable departure from the 'poison pill' agreement that was supposed to have come out of the debt ceiling crisis. These people have no shame.
So, if I were to write to my congressman about this, what title or bill number or whatever other identifying name should I reference, so there is no mistake about what I am complaining about? I am really very ignorant about how bills are labeled, and I don't want to look foolish, or burn powder on the wrong target.
Please help me out here.
Today's vote on spending cuts was on HR 5652. It was recorded by the House at 2.15pm. Roll Call vote No 247 (see the Office of the Clerk of the House at: http://clerk.house.gov/floorsummary/floor.aspx). The title of the bill is: "To provide for reconciliation pursuant to section 201 of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2013."
For those not familiar with the details of how the House works, think about Robert's Rules of Order for any fraternal order or community meeting - when following the rules, sometimes you have to vote to have THE vote. That's a lot of what the House did this morning.
It makes sense that Republicans would take food out of the mouths of children. After all, a Republican is someone who believes life begins at conception and ends at birth. Hey, kid, you're on your own now. Good luck sucker!
Its not really surprising they only think of the rich and have always screwed the poor. The GOP is the party of hate, be it gays, women, poor. Just stick to the game plan GOP Obama will thank you for it.
What a great vision for the future, a grand plan to take us back to the good old days of Charles Dickens when the rich were rich and the poor were poor.
I trust that Harry Reid will schedule a vote on this ASAP.
The real issue is not how they voted, the real issue is the gerrymandering. Legislators can vote on such things because they know their districts are safe, and most constituents will vote for them no matter what. Also they know that they will always get a good supply of funding available from the likes of Koch brothers no matter how wrong they are.