Mark Green chooses House Leadership over Wisconsin students and seniors

Yesterday the House of Representatives passed a bill that will have large implications for Wisconsin seniors and students. It passed by a very slim majority because a number of Republicans chose to vote in the interests of their constituents instead of the House Leadership. Congressman Mark Green was not one of those independent-minded Republicans.

The headline from this Washington Post article sums it up:

Budget Cuts Pass By a Slim Margin

Poor, Elderly and Students to Feel
Pinch

Thirteen Republicans decided that the poor, elderly and students of their district should not be punished for the Republican mismanagement of the federal budget. Congressman Mark Green voted the way his leadership asked him to instead of going with the vast majority of people in his district over 50 that do not support these cuts, a fact revealed earlier this week by an AARP poll in his district.

Congressman Mark Green voted to cut funds used to make deadbeat parents pay child support, increase the interest rates for student loans, force Medicaid recipients to pay higher co-pays and deductibles, and make it harder to qualify for Medicaid-supported nursing homes. Not bad for one day of work. Maybe later this week he can help the President pass permanent tax cuts for the wealthiest people in our country too.

Hopefully he will heed the wise words of his Republican colleague from the U.S. Senate instead. Republican Senator Voinovich had this to say yesterday:

"I do not know how anyone can say with a straight face that when we voted to cut spending in December to help achieve deficit reductions, we can now turn around a short while later to provide tax cuts that exceed or cancel out the reduction in spending," Sen. George V. Voinovich (R-Ohio) said yesterday, as the Senate took up a procedural motion that would allow tax-cut negotiations to begin. "We cannot afford these tax cuts."

Finally someone being honest about budgeting in the Republican party.