Since the House GOP refused to allow any continuing resolution that allowed for the full implementation and funding of the ACA to pass, the government, as we know, is temporarily in shutdown mode. This entails furloughs of federal workers and the cessation of all services deemed "non-essential".
The GOP tonight decided to engage in piecemeal budgeting, a rather dangerous concept. In other words, the GOP would decide which programs it wants to allow to continue operating---not on grounds of necessity but on optics. Such a route of piecemeal budgeting cedes full ground to the GOP, which then gets to build a budget from the ground up and has the leverage to exclude entirely what it does not want to fund simply by never bringing that individual program's funding up for a vote.
Of course, we all know that such votes are mere political stunts. All of the bills required a 2/3 vote for passage because of the current conditions, and the Democratic Party has no incentive to follow along, preventing the GOP from facing public opinion and helping them to save face.
In each of the three votes---veterans benefits, DC, and parks/museums, a few dozen Democrats voted with the Republican caucus, but the total of votes was always well below the 2/3 requirement. One easily gets the impression that the Democratic leadership gave certain members--particularly those up for Senate races or competitive House races--the permission to vote YEA on such measures for the sake of optics, knowing that the votes ultimately lead nowhere.
First, the House voted to give special treatment to veterans benefits. This bill failed to reach the required 2/3 margin, dying on a vote of 264 to 164. 33 Democrats joined the GOP for its budget stunt.
Ron Barber (AZ-02)
John Barrow (GA-12)
Ami Bera (CA-07)
Timothy Bishop (NY-01)
Bruce Braley (IA-01)
Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
Andre Carson (IN-07)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Suzan DelBene (WA-01)
Bill Foster (IL-11)
Pete Gallego (TX-23)
Joe Garcia (FL-26)
Denny Heck (WA-10)
William Keating (MA-09)
Derek Kilmer (WA-06)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
Dave Loebsack (IA-02)
Stephen Lynch (MA-08)
Dan Maffei (NY-24)
Sean Maloney (NY-18)
Jim Matheson (UT-04)
Mike McIntyre (NC-07)
Patrick Murphy (FL-18)
Bill Owens (NY-21)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Gary Peters (MI-09)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Jared Polis (CO-02)
Raul Ruiz (CA-36)
Bradley Schneider (IL-10)
Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
John Tierney (MA-06)
Next, the House voted to give special treatment to District appropriations. This bill failed to reach the required 2/3 margin, dying on a vote of 265 to 163.
34 Democrats joined the GOP for its budget stunt.
Ron Barber (AZ-02)
Ami Bera (CA-07)
Bruce Braley (IA-01)
Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
Andre Carson (IN-07)
Yvette Clarke (NY-09)
Lacy Clay (MO-01)
Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05)
Gerald Connolly (VA-11)
Donna Edwards (MD-04)
Marcia Fudge (OH-11)
Bill Foster (IL-11)
Pete Gallego (TX-23)
Joe Garcia (FL-26)
Alcee Hastings (FL-20)
Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18)
Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
Stephen Lynch (MA-08)
Jim Matheson (UT-04)
Mike McIntyre (NC-07)
Gregory Meeks (NY-05)
Jim Moran (VA-08)
Patrick Murphy (FL-18)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Jared Polis (CO-02)
Charlie Rangel (NY-13)
Raul Ruiz (CA-36)
Bradley Schneider (IL-10)
Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Bobby Scott (VA-03)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
Mel Watt (NC-12)
John Yarmuth (KY-03)
Lastly, the House voted to exempt National Park Service operations, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Gallery of Art, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum from the government shutdown. This likewise did not reach the necessary 2/3 majority for passage, failing 252 to 176.
Only one Republican—Don Young of Alaska—voted with the Democrats against it.
22 Democrats voted with the GOP’s third budget stunt:
Ron Barber (AZ-02)
Ami Bera (CA-07)
Bruce Braley (IA-01)
Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
Andre Carson (IN-07)
Suzan DelBene (WA-01)
Bill Foster (IL-11)
Pete Gallego (TX-23)
Joe Garcia (FL-26)
Derek Kilmer (WA-06)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
Dave Loebsack (IA-02)
Sean Maloney (NY-18)
Jim Matheson (UT-04)
Mike McIntyre (NC-07)
Patrick Murphy (FL-18)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Jared Polis (CO-02)
Raul Ruiz (CA-36)
Bradley Schneider (IL-10)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
John Tierney (MA-06)
Of course, we all know that the House GOP would never allow for "emergency funding" targeted at public health, environmental protection, education, or assistance to the poor. And it's good to see that Democrats aren't caving as they did with the FAA earlier this year.
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