More Blood and Gore

The House rejected the compromise health/etc. appropriations bill today by a 224-209 margin. The Dems, apparently, all voted against, and a number of Repugs crossed over to reject the bill. Apparently the lack of sufficient pork convinced wavering votes to go No.

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.

I think it's more than that. This bill was an evil, misguided attempt to screw kids, the poor, and students. I think even some Repugs could vote against that.

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."

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Twenty-two Republicans voted against the measure, many of them moderates who also are swing votes on the budget-cutting legislation.

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But Democrats provided a long list of programs that will be cut or face little or no increase, including President Bush's landmark No Child Left Behind education program, rural health care, Pell grants for higher education and heating assistance for low-income families. They insisted the attempted budget cuts were the result of GOP-driven tax cuts.

The defeat underscores the problems facing the Repugs as they deal with an increasingly dissatisfied public and the enormous problems facing the Bush admin and their own Congressional leadership.

Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., said one factor in the bill's defeat was the drop in the president's popularity and his inability to maintain unity among the GOP ranks. He also noted that the Republican Party misses the vote-gathering powers of Texas Rep. Tom DeLay _ nicknamed "The Hammer" _ who has stepped aside as majority leader because of legal problems, replaced by Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. "Not every blunt instrument is a hammer," Frank said.

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The vote was "a tremendous defeat" for the Republicans, said House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "It had the wrong priorities."

Josh has some delicious comments on how to use this against the Repugs in '06.