Candidates love to empathize with struggling middle-class Americans, but middle-income government employees are an easy target for politicians trying to earn their deficit warrior stripes. Today more than a third of U.S. House Democrats voted with nearly all the House Republicans to keep most civilian federal employees’ salaries frozen through 2013. All five Iowans voted for the legislation, even though Democrats Bruce Braley (IA-01), Dave Loebsack (IA-02), and Leonard Boswell (IA-03) have repeatedly said they oppose balancing the budget on the backs of the middle class.

Pete Kasperowicz reported for The Hill,

The House voted 309-117 in favor of the bill, easily clearing the two-thirds majority required for passage under a suspension of House rules. Republicans needed about 50 Democrats for passage, and the bill, H.R. 3835, was supported by 72 Democrats.

Republicans called up the bill to build support for the pay freeze as a way to help pay for a year-long payroll tax holiday – the measure would raise $26 billion over 10 years. But the vote also gives Republicans a chance to remind voters that they are looking for ways to control federal spending, while portraying some Democrats as resistant to this proposals to trim the budget.

The White House had called for federal workers to receive a slight raise next year.

In early debate on the bill, Republicans argued that the poorly performing “Obama economy” is a major reason to support the federal pay freeze, as it is becoming harder to justify rising high federal wages at a time when millions of people in the private-sector are still looking for a job.

President Barack Obama advocated a pay freeze for federal employees to make a gesture on deficit reduction two years ago, then put the freeze in effect shortly after the 2010 elections. No one at the White House should be surprised now that Republicans want to stir up resentment toward supposedly “overpaid” government workers.

The roll call shows Braley, Loebsack and Boswell among the 72 Democrats who voted yes on the motion to suspend the rules and pass the pay freeze legislation, which applies to members of Congress as well as to federal employees. Republicans Tom Latham (IA-04) and Steve King (IA-05) also voted yes, along with almost everyone in their caucus.

I haven’t seen any public statements on this vote from any Iowans in Congress, but I will update the post if they appear. Braley, Loebsack, and Boswell are not likely to call attention to today’s vote; their press releases more often focus on legislation they have introduced or would like the House to take up.

Also on February 1, the House voted for the “Fiscal Responsibility and Retirement Security Act,” which repeals part of the 2010 federal health insurance reform bill.

Members voted 267-159 in favor of the bill, H.R. 1173, which repeals the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) program. While 28 Democrats joined Republicans in support of the bill, House passage sends the bill to a Democratic Senate that is expected to ignore the bill completely.

The Obama administration in October found that there is no viable financial path forward for the program, as it would rely on voluntary participation and could not receive taxpayer funds. Republicans argued today that the program should therefore be repealed, and said they favor this approach because failing to implement a program that is still on the books could lead to legal challenges.

The roll call shows that Boswell and Loebsack were among the 28 Democrats who voted with Republicans to repeal the CLASS program. Yet again, Progressive Caucus member Loebsack finds himself mostly in the company of Blue Dogs. Braley stood with most of the House Democrats against this bill.

So far the only Iowa reaction I’ve seen to the CLASS Act repeal came in this press release from Steve King:

King: “Everyone Who Voted for ObamaCare Voted for Socialized Medicine”

Votes to Repeal the CLASS Act

Washington, DC- Congressman Steve King (R-IA) released the following statement today after he voted to repeal the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act:

“Today the vast majority of Democrats in the House opposed the repeal of the CLASS program, an unsustainable component of ObamaCare that even President Obama’s administration cannot ‘see a viable path forward’ for,” said King. “This program is a confirmed failure, but Democrats continue to focus on holding on to this legislative trophy rather than on the future of America.”

“Those who voted for ObamaCare, and those who voted against repealing the CLASS Act, have made it clear that they do not care if their government experiments work, as long as they pave the way for socialized medicine. This vote is proof that everyone who voted for ObamaCare voted for socialized medicine. I will not rest until ObamaCare is 100% repealed.”

Finally today, all five Iowans in the House were part of the 395 to 27 majority approving a bill “that would prevent welfare recipients from accessing their payments in strip clubs, casinos and liquor stores.”

The House had already passed similar language twice before, and Republicans were looking to pass it again to encourage House and Senate negotiators to include it in a bill to extend the payroll tax holiday for a full year. The fact that it had already passed made it easy for Democrats to simply accept it again.

All the Iowans in Congress are on record supporting a payroll tax extension, but they don’t agree on how to pay for the measure. King’s position on this issue is a bit hard to pin down, since he voted for a yearlong payroll tax extension in December shortly after criticizing the approach:

Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, said it was a mistake to lower the payroll taxes paid by employees without reducing employer contributions the same amount.

He said the first priority should be to equalize the two contributions or the employee contribution will end up at zero and the employer contribution will have to be greatly increased.

He also said the payroll tax should be allowed to go back to where it was before the cut in order to protect Social Security.

“We need to keep those funds solvent,” King said.

Any relevant comments are welcome in this thread.