Simpson Opposes Democrat Spending Spree

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today voted against the efforts of Congressional Democrats to include extraneous and controversial provisions in a bill to fund our nation's troops. H.R. 2346, the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2009, originally passed the House by a strong bi-partisan majority when it was limited to troop and military funding but emerged from a Conference Committee with new and unrelated provisions opposed by most Republican lawmakers. Despite near-unanimous Republican opposition, the measure passed by a vote of 226-202.

"As evidenced by my vote in support of the original bill, I was prepared to vote for a supplemental appropriations bill that supported our troops and stuck to those things that truly merited emergency funding," said Simpson. "Once again, however, the Democrats have done a masterful job of taking bi-partisan, consensus legislation and making it controversial. I simply cannot support a bill that now includes billions in controversial and unrelated funding, and undermines our national security by watering down Senate language that kept terrorists off our shores."

The Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2009 originally passed the House on May 14th by a vote of 368-60. The bill contained emergency funding in several categories but was primarily targeted at funding Defense, Homeland Security, and Military Construction accounts.

Source