House Passes Budget Cuts By a Slim Margin

The House, be a 216 to 214 vote, passed budget cuts that hurt students, the elderly and the poor most of all. As the Washington Post reports:

The House yesterday narrowly approved a contentious budget-cutting package that would save nearly $40 billion over five years by imposing substantial changes on programs including Medicaid, welfare, child support and student lending.
With its presidential signature all but assured, the bill represents the first effort in nearly a decade to try to slow the growth of entitlement programs, one that will be felt by millions of Americans. Women on welfare are likely to face longer hours of work, education or community service to qualify for their checks. Recipients of Medicaid can expect to face higher co-payments and deductibles, especially on expensive prescription drugs and emergency room visits for non-emergency care. More affluent seniors will find it far more difficult to qualify for Medicaid-covered nursing care. College students could face higher interest rates when their banks get squeezed by the federal government. And some cotton farmers will find support payments nicked. State-led efforts to force deadbeat parents to pay their child support may also have to be curtailed.



Click here to read the full article.

To see how your member of Congress voted, click here. It is interesting that not one Democrat supported the measure, while 13 Republicans voted against it. Also, three members of the House did not vote at all, 2 Republicans and 1 Democrat.

The Colorado delegation voted along party lines as follows:

For:
Bob Beauprez, Joel Hefley, Marilyn Musgrave, Tom Tancredo

Against:
Diana DeGette, John Salazar, Mark Udall

--Tom Hayes