Bush Tax Cut and Earmark Ban vote show mixed message

By In the news
In: Measure 37
Thursday December 2, 2010

By Taxpayer Association of Oregon,

The House voted 234-188 to continue some of the Bush Tax Cuts while raising taxes in a recession on small businesses. 33 Democrats saw the anti-tax election wave and voted against the tax increase and against Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Three Republicans, Walter Jones (N.C.), Ron Paul (Texas) and John Duncan (Tenn.) broke from their leader and voted for the tax increase on small business.

More confusing is the Senate which rejected an Earmark ban amendment. Despite the earmark outrage in 2006 and the anti-spending wave of 2010 the Senate failed to pass it. Unlike the House, Senate Republicans in larger numbers opposed the ban. The six notable Republicans who voted against the earmark ban are Sens. Thad Cochran (Miss.), Susan Collins (Maine), James Inhofe (Okla.), Dick Lugar (Ind.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) Richard Shelby (Ala.) Sen. George Voinovich (Ohio) and Sen. Bob Bennett (Utah).

The House Republicans got the message (except for three) but the Senate Republicans did not.

It is an insane vote against the will of the people.

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