Friday, February 18, 2011

Bipartisan votes protect local police subsidies and legal aid to the poor from House GOP cuts

House Democrats and some moderate Republicans joined forces to restore some funding for the Community Oriented Policing Services and legal aid for the poor, two important programs in many rural areas. "The victories were not without cost, forcing deep cuts from the nation’s space program as well as research and development funds in the Department of Homeland Security," David Rogers of Politco reports. "But the votes are the clearest sign yet of some second thoughts in the GOP about the depth and direction of the reductions demanded by conservatives and tea party supporters on the right."

In voting to preserve at least reduced funding for legal aid to the poor, 68 Republicans crossed party lines in support of the Democrats' initiative, and 70 Republicans supported restoring $208 million for the COPS program. "The dike seemed to break when as many as 132 Republicans backed an amendment by Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) to restore $510 million for Homeland Security grants for first-responders," Rogers writes. In May we reported errors in a funding calculation from the stimulus act had led the COPS program to incorrectly award funding to applicants who didn't deserve it as the expense of others that did. (Read more)

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