Color me surprised… some common sense out of the United States Senate. I guess we have a bipartisan consensus that organizations that coach clients on how to evade taxes and set up a child brothel shouldn’t receive taxpayer money. So I guess the third time is a charm.
Ed Morrissey was on top of this tonight:
Senator Mike Johanns (R-NE) introduced an amendment to the HUD and Transportation appropriation bill to strip ACORN of all federal funding. A week ago, Johanns wouldn’t have gotten the amendment to the floor. Today, however, after three straight days of BigGovernment.com’s video exposés of ACORN offices in Washington DC, New York City, and Baltimore offering assistance to pimping, tax evasion, and trafficking in underage Salvadorean girls, Johanns not only got his vote — but he got an impressive bipartisan showing. The Senate passed the Johanns amendment 83-7.
At the beginning of the vote, it appeared that Democrats might resist. Initially, a half-dozen Democrats cast votes in opposition to the amendment. A few more cast votes against it as the rest of the Senate voted, but the tide appeared to shift. More and more Democrats signed onto the amendment, and votes started changing. One male voice could be heard in the chamber saying, “I want to change my vote!” Among those who changed their votes: Tom Udall (D-NM), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), and Herb Kohl (D-WI).
The (thanks for the correction ECM) National Review’s Jim Geraghty asked Ed Morrissey in a tweet – “Who were the seven Child-Whoring Pimp Assistance Program defenders?” Morrissey lists the “Child-Whoring Pimp Assistance 7” as:
- Dick Durbin (D-IL)
- Roland Burris (D-IL)
- Robert Casey (D-PA)
- Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
- Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
- Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
- Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
I’m incredibly disappointed by two people on this list, I had thought that Senator Gillibrand and Senator Casey were “blue dogs,” perhaps I was wrong on that. If they were, they certainly didn’t vote that way. None of these people deserve to hold onto their seats.
Greta Van Susteren is reporting tonight that this vote will prevent funding from the upcoming appropriations bill. Now I ask, what about funding they have already received? Is there other earmark money we are not aware of? Will the Obama administration denounce them? What is their relationship to SEIU who seems to be very cozy to the administration?
AP is reporting that it’s only going to get worse from here, potential criminal investigations, House probes, and possibly could even lose their 501(c)3 status. It will also be interesting what kind of traction Congressman Steve King (R-IA) can get going in the House.
HT: Duane Lester
Additional thoughts: The Census was step 1 and this is step 2. Their will be other appropriations bills, and there is still the House. Also, will they be eligible for competitive grants and will they really be competitive with ACORN having friends in the administration?