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RSC Budget Vote Flippers

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  March 30th, 2012 at 12:01 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

As we noted yesterday, a number of Republicans who inherently oppose the RSC budget, yet wanted to go on record as voting for it, switched their votes from no to aye when they realized that Democrats wouldn’t vote present and let it pass.  This stratagem was orchestrated by the GOP Whip team.  Here is a list of the vote switchers (from the Congressional Record) who supported the RSC budget, but only after it was clear that it would never pass:

Messrs. RIVERA, HARPER, THOMPSON of Pennsylvania, Mrs. ELLMERS, Messrs. SHIMKUS, HUNTER, HULTGREN, MICA, FINCHER, COFFMAN of Colorado, TIPTON, Ms. FOXX, Messrs. OLSON, MURPHY of Pennsylvania, SHUSTER, and BUCSHON changed their vote from “no” to “aye.”

In addition, four members switched from aye to no; Messrs. DREIER, WALZ, BILIRAKIS, and YOUNG of Florida.

I was curious to see which members voted for the budget this year but not last year, and vice versa:

The New Yes’s (30) (asterisks next to those who played the vote switching game)

Adams

Amodei

Black

Boustany

Buschon*

DesJarlais

Ellmers*

Farenthold

Fincher*

Gardner

Gohmert

Graves (MO)

Griffin

Hultgren*

Jenkins

McCotter

McMorris Rodgers

Murphy (PA)*

Pearce

Pitts

Rivera*

Rooney

Scott (SC)

Sensenbrenner

Shuster*

Simpson

Thompson (PA)*

Tipton*

Upton

Yoder

It is always good to have new additions, but note that some of these members, like Boustany, Ellmers, Simpson, Murphy, Rivera, Upton, have primary challengers.

The New No’s (13)

Bachus

Calvert

Carter

Denham

Duncan (TN)

Gallegly

Granger

Kelly

Miller (FL)

Smith (NE)

Southerland (He is very conservative.  I can’t imagine that he opposed  the spending cuts.  He presumably voted no because of the provision that would open up drilling along the Florida coast)

Terry

Turner (NY) (new member)

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COMMENTS

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  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    California, I’m not going to miss you.

  • staunch_woman

    Being a conservative women, I am inclined to accept Mr. Ryan’s budget plan, but it would help me (as a dedicated Christian) to understand how this budget embodies the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

      .

  • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

    I’d be interested to know what you think should be done with the names on this list.

    • http://redmeatconservative.blogspot.com/ Daniel Horowitz

      It really depends and each one has to be taken in it’s own context as part of a broader voting record. The real offensive list is not so much the ones that voted no, but the ones that originally voted no and switched their vote only when they were assured that the Dems wouldn’t let it win. That just wreaks.

      The other conclusion to draw is what a difference elections make. We have guys like Fred Upton and Mike Simpson now voting for the budget because they have primary challengers. I don’t recall Upton ever voting for the RSC budget. Others on the list might have genually had a wake up call since last year.

      In terms of the hard no votes that were yes votes last year, I make it no secret that some of them represent red states, like the ones from Texas and Nebraska, yet they are dramatically under-performing. They do have primary challengers, but it is still too early to tell if they are viable, or even more conservative.

      • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

        He’s been one of the most conservative congressmen since taking office, but was one of the vote switchers. He will have a strong primary challenge due to redistricting, but I’m not sure how much that affected his behavior. In any case, I agree you have to look at each one to make a determination, and that likely means looking at their record over the long term rather than his one vote.

        • YnotNOW

          And noted that he is a solid conservative 90% of the time, but occasionally gives us reason to doubt that his default predisposition is conservative. The examples I gave were his (initial) co-sponsorship of Nat GAS act, which he withdrew only after he received flack and looked at the outrageous costs. Then his pet project of stockpiling rare-earth-minerals for DoD, which again makes government payment the solution for market failures (largely caused by environmental regulation of mining and processing).

          Again, he votes conservative 90% (or 85% by the Heritage Action scorecard), but occasionally gives us reason to doubt. This appears to be one such occasion.

          Goes to show that we cannot take any representative for granted, and must hold them accountable to the people who elected them!

          • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

            I’d sure like to know how. Coffman & Lamborn have been great, Gardner very good, and Tipton acceptable. I guarantee the democrat running against Coffman this year would be MUCH worse.

          • YnotNOW

            and will be working diligently to re-elect him. My point was that we can’t take even 85% Conservatives for granted. We need to stay in touch and hold them to their conservative ideals, lest they slip into “Establishment” mode.

          • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

            I think he’ll have a good shot too. He’s always done well in statewide races.

          • YnotNOW

            Both in his proven electability results, plus his fairly reliable conservative record. Udall will not be easy to unseat, but if the mood of the country remains against the liberal agenda (a la 2010) it is very possible.

  • Christine

    I’m disappointed. I wonder what her reasoning is.

  • barry915barry

    Am I to assume that you are referring to Rep. Randy Hultgren (IL-14)?
    Also, I need to make sure I understand the actual voting that took place. His office states that they did not switch a vote. His Deputy Chief of Staff Doug Thomas called me at home today (4/5). I sent them an e-mail based on your post. He left a very detailed message stating that they did not flip their vote. Please help me to understand more clearly your post, and my congressman’s response! Thanks, Barry.

    P.S. I am having trouble with your “Congressional Record” link.