The House of Representatives approved a three-week continuing resolution on current-year spending today by a vote of 271 to 158 (roll call). If the Senate does not approve the bill by Friday, the federal government will shut down. The Iowa delegation split the same way as two weeks ago, when the House approved the last continuing resolution. Republican Tom Latham (IA-04) and Democrats Bruce Braley (IA-01), Dave Loebsack (IA-02) and Leonard Boswell (IA-03) all voted for the spending bill. Two weeks ago Steve King (IA-05) was among only six House Republicans to vote against the continuing resolution. Today he had much more company; 54 House Republicans voted against the bill backed by their leaders. The measure would have failed without Democratic support.
That support is eroding as well. Two weeks ago, yes votes outnumbered noes in the House Democratic caucus, but today a majority of House Democrats voted against the continuing resolution. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), has said he will not support another continuing resolution after this one. If House and Senate leaders don’t reach a comprehensive agreement on fiscal 2011 spending during the next three weeks, it may become more difficult to avoid a shutdown.
King told ABC News this week he isn’t worried about that outcome:
Rep. Steve King is lobbying his colleagues to take their fight against President Obama’s health care law to a new level: He wants to cut off funding for the law as a condition for keeping other government funds in place.
“We have a leverage point, and it is the funding for the government for the balance of the fiscal year 2011,” King, R-Iowa, told us today on ABC’s “Top Line.” “This is the place to pitch the fight.”
If such a stance brings about a partial government shutdown, it would be Democrats’ fault, King said: “If we shut off the funding to implement Obamacare and the Senate or the president refuses to go along with it, that is their decision, not ours.”
Still, King argued, a shutdown might not be a bad result.
“If essential services keep going, no, it wouldn’t be. And I think that we’d be able to keep essential services going on. You know, the wedge issue is this: Is the president — would he think that his signature issue is more important to him than all the functions of government? That’s the question. And in the end, will American people stand with us, or will they stand with Obamacare?”
In other Congressional news, King is the only Iowan among 81 House Republicans cosponsoring a concurrent resolution that “condemns the Obama administration’s direction that the Department of Justice should discontinue defending the Defense of Marriage Act; and demands that the Department of Justice continue to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in all instances.” King has vowed to seek a funding reduction for the DOJ since President Barack Obama instructed the department not to defend Section 3 of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act in court.
After the jump I’ve posted Braley’s statement on today’s vote. I will add press releases from the other Iowans in the House if and when I see them.
UPDATE: I see King has introduced a federal official English bill again: “A common language is the most powerful unifying force known throughout history, […] We need to encourage assimilation of all legal immigrants in each generation. A nation divided by language cannot pull together as effectively as a people.” As a state senator, King was the leading advocate of Iowa’s official English bill, which Governor Tom Vilsack signed in 2002. King later sued successfully to stop the Secretary of State’s office from providing voter registration information in languages other than English.
I’ll be interested to see whether the House Republican leadership lets King’s new bill go forward, or whether the same concerns that cost King a subcommittee chairmanship this year sink his efforts to require the federal government to conduct most services in English.
SECOND UPDATE: King’s statement is now after the jump. Politifact provides more context on the $105 billion figure King mentions here.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 15, 2011Braley Works to Keep Government Running
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bruce Braley (IA-01) joined a bipartisan effort to keep the government running and voted to support a temporary measure that incorporates cuts from both parties:
“Let me be clear, passing two-week or three-week stopgap measures is no way to run a government,” said Rep. Braley. “But when the choice is a temporary spending measure or a government shutdown that would deny care for our veterans and stop Social Security checks from going out – then I believe it’s my duty to make sure crucial programs all over Iowa and the country are not disrupted by a shutdown.
“It’s long past time that we sit down and have a responsible, adult discussion about the budget – and pass a long term spending plan that gives American families, soldiers and businesses the certainty they deserve.”
March 15, 2011
Washington D.C.- Congressman Steve King (R-IA) released the following statement after voting against the three-week continuing resolution considered by the House of Representatives today. Although the House passed the resolution, 54 Republicans voted against the measure, a sharp increase from the 6 Republicans who voted against the two-week CR passed on March 1.“As I pledged to do, I voted against today’s continuing resolution because it did not contain language that would prevent over $105.5 billion in automatic appropriations for ObamaCare from being spent on implementing the unconstitutional law,” said King. “I will continue to vote against CR’s that lack such language.”
“It was interesting to see the sharp increase in the number of Republicans who voted against this short-term CR. Many of my colleagues share my concerns about ObamaCare’s automatic funding provisions, and they voted ‘No’. Others feel similarly strongly about the CR’s failure to include language that cuts off federal funding for Planned Parenthood, and they also voted ‘No.'”
“Americans want ObamaCare defunded, and they do not want their tax dollars used to subsidize abortions. We must restore their confidence in this Congress, and we can begin to do so by including language to eliminate ObamaCare’s $105.5 billion automatic appropriations and to defund Planned Parenthood in any future CR’s.”