Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 7:29 am
This article comes to you courtesy of Washington's quaint, alternative
newspaper, The Washington Times:
Democrats Kill Bill That Honored Troops
Vote aimed at vague language
MARY F. CALVERT
The Washington Times
Thursday, January 29, 2009
House Democrats blocked a measure that would have required new
roads, bridges and schools funded by the $825 billion economic stimulus
to be named after U.S. armed forces members killed in action.
Democrats on the House Rules Committee nixed the amendment Tuesday
in a party-line 9-3 vote. The same vote also took down four other
Republican amendments that would have funded job training for
Veterans, stopping all the measures from being considered Wednesday
by the full House for inclusion in the stimulus.
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter said Republicans did not publicize an amendment
to name projects after slain troops to avoid "grandstanding." "For
whatever reason, it was not to their liking," said Rep. McCotter, Michigan
Republican and sponsor of the amendment that would have honored
fallen troops.
He said Republicans did not appear to be "grandstanding" on the issue,
but he said he was disappointed that it was so roundly rejected.
Democrats on the committee were not philosophically opposed to
honoring fallen troops but concerned about the amendment's vague
language, which placed the naming requirement on all "new
infrastructure" and could have resulted in the naming of sewer lines and
water treatment plants, said an aide close to the committee and familiar
with the internal debate.
The aide, who stressed the amendment was considered as part of a
package of amendments, did not want to be quoted discussing House
members' deliberative process.
Several Democrats on the committee declined interview requests.
Nadeam Elshami, spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California
Democrat, said the Rules Committee was the wrong place for a "naming
bill." He said the bill should have gone through the Oversight and
Government Reform Committee.
The other four amendments, each sponsored by Republican Rep. Steve
Buyer of Indiana, would have provided $10 million for job training for
homeless female Veterans and homeless Veterans with children;
provided $20 million Veteran work force training; supplied $1 billion for
small business loans to Veterans; and increased payments to Veterans
undergoing vocational training.
Republicans on the committee said the rejection of the McCotter
amendment underscored the House Democrat's tight control of the
stimulus legislation, despite President Obama's promises of bipartisanship.
"If there is something that needs to be heard on the floor - it's that," said
committee member Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Florida Republican.
"They closed down the process."
The committee considered 206 amendments - 104 Democratic, 95
Republican and 7 bipartisan - and approved 11 for a floor vote.
Amendments that made it out of the committee included six sponsored by
Democrats, four by Republicans and one with bipartisan sponsorship.
newspaper, The Washington Times:
Democrats Kill Bill That Honored Troops
Vote aimed at vague language
MARY F. CALVERT
The Washington Times
Thursday, January 29, 2009
House Democrats blocked a measure that would have required new
roads, bridges and schools funded by the $825 billion economic stimulus
to be named after U.S. armed forces members killed in action.
Democrats on the House Rules Committee nixed the amendment Tuesday
in a party-line 9-3 vote. The same vote also took down four other
Republican amendments that would have funded job training for
Veterans, stopping all the measures from being considered Wednesday
by the full House for inclusion in the stimulus.
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter said Republicans did not publicize an amendment
to name projects after slain troops to avoid "grandstanding." "For
whatever reason, it was not to their liking," said Rep. McCotter, Michigan
Republican and sponsor of the amendment that would have honored
fallen troops.
He said Republicans did not appear to be "grandstanding" on the issue,
but he said he was disappointed that it was so roundly rejected.
Democrats on the committee were not philosophically opposed to
honoring fallen troops but concerned about the amendment's vague
language, which placed the naming requirement on all "new
infrastructure" and could have resulted in the naming of sewer lines and
water treatment plants, said an aide close to the committee and familiar
with the internal debate.
The aide, who stressed the amendment was considered as part of a
package of amendments, did not want to be quoted discussing House
members' deliberative process.
Several Democrats on the committee declined interview requests.
Nadeam Elshami, spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California
Democrat, said the Rules Committee was the wrong place for a "naming
bill." He said the bill should have gone through the Oversight and
Government Reform Committee.
The other four amendments, each sponsored by Republican Rep. Steve
Buyer of Indiana, would have provided $10 million for job training for
homeless female Veterans and homeless Veterans with children;
provided $20 million Veteran work force training; supplied $1 billion for
small business loans to Veterans; and increased payments to Veterans
undergoing vocational training.
Republicans on the committee said the rejection of the McCotter
amendment underscored the House Democrat's tight control of the
stimulus legislation, despite President Obama's promises of bipartisanship.
"If there is something that needs to be heard on the floor - it's that," said
committee member Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Florida Republican.
"They closed down the process."
The committee considered 206 amendments - 104 Democratic, 95
Republican and 7 bipartisan - and approved 11 for a floor vote.
Amendments that made it out of the committee included six sponsored by
Democrats, four by Republicans and one with bipartisan sponsorship.
