The Dems were ready to accept the GOP’s anti-porn amendment, but Republicans in the House again managed to thwart a jobs bill that provides billions in funding to science and research.
Last week, we told you how house GOPers managed to scuttle the bill by forcing Democrats to vote in favor of federal employees viewing pornography. 121 Democrats balked, and voted with Republicans to kill the bill.
Today, GOPers pulled off an encore performance. The AP reports the bill’s total price tag was reduced from $85 billion to about $47 billion (achieved by reducing the bill’s spending timeline from 5 years to 3), and Democrats were united in support, despite the continued inclusion of the porn measure. They opted to use a procedure that required a two-thirds vote to pass the bill, but prevented any more amendments from being added. Every Democrat voted in favor, but they were joined by only 15 Republicans, and the bill failed despite a 261-148 vote.
Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX), who spearheaded the porn-amendment effort, told the AP that the bill “continues to take us in a much more costly direction and authorizes a number of new programs which have little to do with prioritizing investments.”
