Anti-Porn Provision Sinks Dem Bill
[Guest post by DRJ]
Only Congress could make a decision about paying government workers who watch porn a close call:
“Democrats had labeled their COMPETES Act — a bill to increase investments in science, research and training programs — as their latest jobs bill. It was the only non-suspension bill Democrats brought up all week.
But the Republican motion to recommit the bill — a parliamentary tactic that gives the minority one final chance to amend legislation — contained language prohibiting federal funds from going “to salaries to those officially disciplined for violations regarding the viewing, downloading, or exchanging of pornography, including child pornography, on a federal computer or while performing official government duties.”
That provision scared dozens of Democrats into voting with Republicans to approve the motion to recommit. After it became clear the GOP motion was going to pass, dozens of additional Democrats changed their votes from “no” to “yes.” In the end, 121 Democrats voted with Republicans — only four fewer than the number of Democrats who voted with their party.
The Democratic leadership ultimately pulled the bill, which I’m sure is a relief for some SEC workers.
— DRJ
And of course the Dems are whining that it was all a tactic to force them to vote the “right” way, lest they face campaign attack ads saying that they were in favor of gov’t workers viewing porn at work.
And the problem with this is . . . ?
Icy Texan (1cd8c3) — 5/13/2010 @ 1:38 pmThey could comb through all of the IG reports, note the chronic violations, and insert provisions into appropriations bills forbidding funding to those who have engaged in proscribed behavior, and shut Congress down from now to the November election.
AD - RtR/OS! (2aae98) — 5/13/2010 @ 1:40 pmThis is a target-rich environment.
Where’s the provision that garnishes the wages of those members of Congress and the administration that have failed to pay their taxes?
Icy Texan (1cd8c3) — 5/13/2010 @ 1:47 pmWho the heck does the Democrats think their constituency actually is? From their behavior, I think we have a clue.
SPQR (26be8b) — 5/13/2010 @ 1:55 pm–Who the heck does the Democrats think their constituency actually is?–
Just look at the over all age and entrenchment demographics of the Dem leadership and committee people. It is easy to guess that they have been incumbents for so long that they have really not had to give a whole lot of thought to their constituency, and how it might change over a period of decades.
elissa (2769fa) — 5/13/2010 @ 2:10 pm