forgottenliberty.com

The Price of Stupak’s Vote? 4.7 Billion Dollars

Democrat Bart Stupak misled the American people when he claimed he and a group of Congressmen would vote no for the health care bill if it included public funding for abortion.   As we all know, he and his cohorts switched their no vote to a yes after President Obama promised to sign an executive order reaffirming that no federal money will be used for abortions.  The fishy part about that deal is the fact that a law passed by Congress and signed by the President overrides an executive order.  So President Obama’s executive order was meaningless because the very law Stupak voted for cancels out the executive order.  We have to assume Stupak knew this and the whole executive order ordeal was a way to provide cover for him for going back on his much publicized pro life pledge.  So, what was the real reason Stupak voted for the health care bill? Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group seems to have the answer.

A day after Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., and ten other House members compromised on their pro-life position to deliver the necessary yes-votes to pass health care reform, the “Stupak 11″ released their fiscal year 2011 earmark requests, which total more than $4.7 billion–an average of $429 million worth of earmark requests for each lawmaker.

4.7 billion dollars!  Shocking, isn’t it?  The day after switching their votes, Stupak and company submitted a huge earmark request.  I think it’s only logical to assume they were bought off.

The eleven members were the focus of high level pressure by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats because they threatened to vote against the health care reform bill, which passed the House on Sunday, March 21, by a seven vote margin. Granting earmark requests are one of the ways leadership can encourage members to vote their way.

Stupak requested more than $578 million in earmarks, including $125 million for a replacement lock on the Sault Ste. Marie, $25.6 million to build a federal courthouse in Marquette, Mich., $15 million to repaint the Mackinac Bridge and $800,000 to preserve the Quincy Mining Company smelter near Hancock in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

And here is the kicker-

Despite a newly enacted ban on earmarks to for-profit firms, Stupak requested a total of $52 million for companies in his district out of the $65.9 million he requested from the Defense Appropriations bill.

So even though there is a ban on this type of earmark, Stupak submitted it anyway.  It will be interesting to see if this earmark gets pushed through.  That would be clear evidence of back room deal making.  The corruption involved in passing this health care bill is simply astounding.  All the more reason to vote them out in November!

Related posts:

1. Pelosi’s Plan to Pass Health Care Reform
2. When did Pelosi Become Pro Life?
3. Obama’s Health Care Plan Provides No Money for Abortions
4. Health Care Reform Passed the House, It’s Up to the Senate Now

Click here to subscribe to Forgotten Liberty