Thursday, November 17, 2005

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise

The Republican leadership in the House of Representatives got a surprise this afternoon!

The New York Times has the story: House Republican leaders were dealt a rare defeat today as Democrats and about two dozen Republicans teamed up to kill a $142 billion health and education spending bill.

Many members said the bill's defeat, by 224 to 209 votes, was the first rejection of an appropriation measure they could recall since Republicans assumed House control in 1995. The loss left the leadership uncertain whether to bring up another budget measure, which calls for $50 billion in cuts over five years.

"We are going to regroup," Representative Deborah Pryce of Ohio (15-R), the chairman of the Republican conference, said after a vote that left many members of the party stunned in their seats on the House floor.

The moderate Republicans can read the polls and they want to save their seats. However, it might be difficult for them to hold back the tough members of the Democratic Party who say, "Enough!"