Here is the article (link) and coverage from Sandmonkey (link).
Ashamed is the only word that comes to mind. The vote was 225-198. I am ashamed of our representatives. This is not aid that would have helped people, this is military aid. With quotes like:
But opponents said it would have gone to far by unfairly punishing an important ally.
and:
Rep. Jim Kolbe, the Arizona Republican who chairs the
Appropriations foreign aid subcommittee, called Egypt a
strategic partner and said "kicking sand" in its face "is not
the right move."
You can not suport freedom one way and deny it in another. And this was a bi-partisan bill. It would have moved 50 million of the 100 million cut to support aids and help in Darfur. SO the headline:
House cuts aid for Darfur and AIDS in favor of military aid to dictatorship.
Here is how they voted (link).
2 comments:
This is outrageous! But once again the Political Correct bunch has won. Make ya wonder just whose best interests they have in mind. The USA? Or their own political power.
sadly, the breakdown:
Ayes Noes NV
Republican 45 179 6
Democratic 152 46 3
Independent 1
TOTALS 198 225 9
So I think the Republican side was more worried about offending a "Paper" ally. And does the Democrat vote indicate they care, or just opposition to whatever the current Republican thought is.
What causes the most shame is that members of both parties proposed this bill with the best intentions and trying to accomplish good together, But the vote follows the logic that is "vote against the other Guy" and "They say they are our ally, so why make them prove it."
The list of votes is pretty large, but sometime this weekend I'll dig through and see the republicans who voted for cutting this aid and against it.
What worries me is that I'm sure some of them (both Democrat and Republican) are actually clueless and say, "well, Egypt supports democracy...doesen't it?"
Great leaders on both sides. Note the sarcasm.
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