The ECAP Coalition issued a statement on the 147 House Republicans who think it wise to get as close as possible to the President and his severe budget:
147 House Republicans Cave to Pressure from Right-Wingers to Support Bush Veto and Cut Funding for Americans in Need
Congress Has a Clear Choice: Stand with the President's Cuts to Health and Education, or Support America's Hardworking Families
WASHINGTON, DC — According to press reports this morning, 147 Republican Members of Congress have caved to political pressure from the GOP leadership and special interests and signed a "Republican Study Committee" letter pledging to support a Presidential veto of any appropriations bill that increase spending on health care, education, and other critical needs for lower- and middle-income families. By signing the right-wing "Republican Study Committee" letter, Members of Congress were pledging to sustain a veto of appropriations measures sight unseen. Congress passed a budget last month that begins to reverse six years of misguided priorities in previous Republican budgets, but the White House has threatened to veto any domestic spending above the President's requested levels, claiming that these much needed and overdue increases would be too expensive. But the fact is that the President's budget would spend far more on tax cuts for millionaires than it would save from all of the cuts to domestic discretionary programs[i].
"By signing this irresponsible letter, House Republicans are blindly following the President down a dangerous fiscal path — a path that has already led right into soaring budget deficits and minority status for their party in Congress. House Republicans should show leadership and stand up for the families they were sent to Washington to represent, but instead 147 of them have chosen to fall in line with the Republican leadership and corporate special interests and support their interests over the needs of working- and middle-class Americans," said Marvin Silver, spokesperson for ECAP and USAction Campaign Manager.
"After six years of irresponsible tax cuts that favor the wealthy, Congress has finally passed a budget that reflects the values and priorities of ordinary Americans. But that's not enough. We need Members of Congress from both parties to have the courage to stand up to the threat of a presidential veto. Because of this threat, each vote could decide the fate of millions of Americans in need.
"The veto threat is no more than a road block to funding critical human needs during a time in our nation where the haves are benefiting more than they ever have from our economy while the poor and working families continue to struggle with making ends meet," added Silver.
"Once again this President will use his veto power to subvert the needs and the will of Americans, only to stubbornly stay the course on dangerous budget cuts that will affect millions of American families. In other words, a relative handful of people have received most of the benefits of growth," said Silver. "Every year, working- and middle-class Americans are more squeezed as the costs of health care, education and other critical needs soar while incomes remain largely stagnant. The Bush tax cuts have overwhelmingly benefited the wealthy few. For the cost of tax cuts for millionaires, we could protect critical services. Any Members of Congress who fail to stand up for their constituents by passing strong appropriations bills and voting to override a presidential veto should be prepared to face the consequences back home."