Salisbury Daily Times - Votes Show Andy Harris' Support For Cuts

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Rep. Andy Harris is more willing than most other Republicans to cut government spending, an analysis of his recent votes shows.

But he also backs periodic pay increases for government employees and money for a consumer product database, clean energy technology and energy research -- areas where other Republicans want to cut back.

Harris' spending priorities emerged during an unusual, free-wheeling debate in mid-February over 103 amendments to a spending bill that would have cut about $61 billion in spending for the rest of fiscal year 2011. Harris voted for the bill, which passed the House but was defeated in the Senate.

Because Democrats and Republicans haven't agreed on a budget, the government is operating on a stopgap spending measure that expires Friday.

House Republicans want deep cuts. The bill they passed Feb. 19, which the Senate rejected Wednesday, would have ended federal funding for programs such as AmeriCorps, PBS and home weatherization aid for low-income families while cutting some agency budgets deeply.

"When you have a $1.5 trillion-dollar deficit, I think cutting only $61 billion dollars is already a compromise," Harris said.

He voted for an amendment to cut federal spending back to 2006 levels, except for defense, homeland security and veterans' programs. The proposal failed 93-328, with most Republicans joining all Democrats in opposing it.

Harris said that proposal would have been the best measure to send to the Senate because House Republicans would have started from a stronger position in negotiating with Senate Democrats over fiscal year 2011 spending.

"I think we should have started from a level that was more than most people would expect the cuts to be so that we could compromise to a level of around $61 billion dollars," he said.
Other proposals

Harris also was in the minority of Republicans supporting proposals to ban funds for improving the White House executive residence and for government searches of library and book sale records conducted under orders from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, rather than under a standard warrant. Both amendments failed.

Harris and a minority of Republicans also voted to cut funding for the Community Service Block Grant program, alternative energy research in the defense budget and Defense Department boards and commissions. Those proposals also failed.

Most of the 103 amendments passed or failed largely along party lines. That includes these amendments that Harris backed:

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