TPMDC House of Representatives: November 2011
Balanced Budget Amendment
House Dems Kill GOP Balanced Budget Amendment
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)
A Constitutional amendment that would forbid Congress from running deficits failed in the House Friday, thanks to broad opposition by Democrats, who recognized it as a GOP messaging vehicle, and a tool they'd use to roll back safety net programs like Medicare and Social Security.
The final vote, was 261 - 165. Two-thirds of both chambers must agree to adopt any amendment to the Constitution. Both the House and the Senate are required under the terms of the debt limit law to hold a vote on a version of the BBA.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Balanced Budget Amendment, House of Representatives, Medicare, Social Security, Steny Hoyer, Taxes
Eric Holder
Holder: GOP Cuts To COPS Program 'Place This Nation At Risk'
House Republican's plan to kill the Justice Department's Community Orienting Policing Services (COPS) program is "unacceptable" and would "place this nation at risk," Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday.
"Though we are enjoying historically low crime rates, we have 30,000 vacant law enforcement positions in this county, we have lost 12,000 officers over the course of the last year, and we put at risk the possibility that these historically low rates will not remain there forever," Holder said in response to a question from Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: COPS, Eric Holder, GOP, House Republicans, House of Representatives
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