Michelle Malkin calls it “The GOP Cave In” but you can call it whatever you want. Suffice it to say that my lack of confidence in the Republican leadership in Washington was reinforced yet again last night when the House leadership dropped a provision from a budget bill to allow oil drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge.
House GOP leaders agreed last night to strip plans to permit oil drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and in the offshore continental shelf from a $54 billion budget-cutting measure, probably securing the votes to pass the bill today.
The move is a blow to President Bush, who has made expanded oil exploration a priority since he took office. Lawmakers said the White House applied pressure yesterday to Republicans to save the drilling provisions, especially in Alaska, even wooing conservative Democrats who have steadfastly opposed the GOP budget package.
But the Democrats did not budge, and at least 22 Republicans told the House leadership they would not vote for the sweeping bill unless the drilling provision was removed and they were given assurances that it would not return after House and Senate negotiators hash out a final measure. Even then, several moderate Republicans have said they still would oppose the bill, which would allow states to impose new costs on Medicaid recipients, cut funds for student loans and child support enforcement, trim farm supports, and restrict access to food stamps.
What is the use of having a Republican majority in Congress if they are going to govern like Democrats ? In the 1970s they called it “Me-Too Republicanism” when the GOP minority’s only alternative to increased spending by the Democrats was to propose even more spending. It took Ronald Reagan, and later Newt Gingrich, to turn that around and create a party that actually stood for something. Now, it appears that all that work was for nothing.
And this isn’t just happening in the House of Representatives:
In the Senate, a similar showdown will occur today, as the Finance Committee moves on a five-year, $60 billion bill that would extend expiring tax cuts from President Bush’s first term. Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) told Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) she would oppose the measure as fiscally unwise and an unfair boost to the affluent as Congress cuts programs for the poor.
Snowe’s opposition would sink the bill. Even if she changes her position, the measure faces an uncertain future on the floor. Sen. George V. Voinovich (R-Ohio) announced his opposition Tuesday.
“I do not know how anyone can say with a straight face that when we voted to cut spending last week to help achieve deficit reductions we can now then turn around two weeks later to provide tax cuts that exceed the reduction in spending,” he said. “That is beyond me, and I am sure the American people.”
Umm, Senator Voinovich, how about the idea that tax cuts are good for the economy ? How about the idea that people deserve to keep their money rather than having it taken away from them by the state ? These are things Republcians are supposed to believe in, or at least they used to.
The California Conservative writes an open letter to Speaker Hastert:
Stop worrying about appearing ?moderate.? Think more about your constituents, the base, the folks who support you ? in spirit, in substance (money) and in action (vote).
If we?re going to keep the White House in 2008, the GOP needs to stand strong, stand together, and show some results.
Well said
The Anchoress has even tougher words for Speaker Hastert and his cohorts:
The world is tilting, and you useless, ineffectual, dithering moneysuckers seem increasingly to be empty suits, given shape and movement not by ideas and a willingness to serve the electorate, but by wispy tufts of ambitious smoke. You seem directed toward nothing more than keeping your almighty Senate or House seat in your name. You give away your power, you give away your advantages in committee, you leave in place utterly feckless people like Arlen Specter and then, when you finally seem like you are on the cusp of doing something productive and right, like investigating the CIA or okaying drilling in a bare, muddly, uninhabitable tundra, you fall into a faint and go slinking back to your states and districts to gladhand and pump for money and then gladhand some more.
Update @ 2:00pm: Michelle Malkin is posting letters to Congress she’s received from people annoyed over this cave-in. She also provides this link to the website of the coalition that apparently is responsible for this deal which has this list of its elected members. I am distressed, though not surprised to find my Congressman, Tom Davis, on that list.
Update @ 4:15pm: Robert Bidinotto looks at the state of affairs and says Okay, I have had it. I agree completely. (H/T to: Daily Pundit)
Linked with Stuck on Stupid and TMH’s Bacon Bits and Basil’s Blog and Choose Life and Euphoric Reality and The Political Teen
