In case you missed it on Wednesday, the House of Representatives in Washington passed yet another Continuing Resolution bill to provide government funding for a few months and avoid a government shutdown. The bill passed 277 to 151 in the House, with House Democrats providing many of the votes needed for passage.
Georgia representatives were split on the measure, with most Goober State Republicans voting against and all Democrats voting for it. Buddy Carter (R- GA 1), Lynn Westmoreland (R- GA 3), Tom Price (R- GA 6), Doug Collins (R- GA 9), Jody Hice (R- GA 10), Barry Loudermilk (R- GA 11), Rick Allen (R- GA 12) and Tom Graves (R- GA 14) all voted against.
Sanford Bishop (D- GA 2), Hank Johnson (D – GA 4), John Lewis (D- GA 5), Rob Woodall (R- GA 7), Austin Scott (R- GA 8) and David Scott (D- GA 13) voted for.
Many House Republicans were opposed to the measure as it allowed money to continue flowing to Planned Parenthood amidst the ongoing undercover videos scandal.
Two Georgia Republicans issued statements expressing their concerns that the bill would continue to send money to Planned Parenthood. Rep. Carter said in a press release, “I cannot, in good conscience, support a single cent of taxpayer dollars going to a criminal enterprise like Planned Parenthood. We’ve known for some time that the group is the largest provider of abortions but the vile and disgusting acts uncovered in these videos are beyond belief. This tugs at the very moral fabric of our country.”
Rep. Collins also issued a statement expressing his disappointment in the bill. “Our very humanity and sense of dignity as individuals and as a nation has been called into question by the recent revelations about Planned Parenthood. To not specifically cut off all avenues of funding for an organization that reduces the bodies of unborn babies to marketable “tissue samples” should cause every person, young and old, to pause and grieve.”
Rep. Loudermilk also was disappointed with the continued funding for Planned Parenthood but expanded his criticism out to the Obama administration’s record on spending as well. “Every time we pass a continuing resolution, we are giving the Obama Administration a blank check to continue with the same damaging policies. Since the CR does not specifically address all of the hard-earned tax dollars being spent on Planned Parenthood’s atrocities, the EPA’s crippling regulations, and a host of other ill advised rules being forced on Americans by this Administration, I simply cannot vote to extend funding to these out-of-control programs and agencies,” said Loudermilk.
Rep. Bishop was pleased the resolution passed but disappointed that full budget negotiations remain out of reach. “I am pleased that this government funding bill will ensure continued operations, but this is no victory to celebrate. Our government cannot afford to continue investing in its priorities through short term, haphazard funding measures, and so, I look forward to passing all twelve appropriations bills for complete government funding before the end of the year.”
Rep. Woodall, from Georgia’s 7th, one of two Georgia Republicans to vote for the bill, expressed his dismay at the, in his view, dysfunction of the Senate but was “encouraged by this small progress.” Woodall said, “In the House, we began passing Appropriations bills in April of this year, operating the federal government the way our Founding Fathers had intended. In fact, the House finished more of its work earlier in the year than at any time since 1974. Sadly, Democrats in the Senate have blocked all efforts to pass any funding bill in the Senate. The American people are frustrated by this pattern, and I share the frustration.”
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