Republicans on Tuesday released a new ad accusing Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.) of hypocrisy for arguing that lawmakers shouldn’t get paid if they don’t pass a budget, but voting against all House budget proposals over the last two years.
The ad released by the National Republican Congressional Committee argues Bera didn’t truly adhere to the philosophy of the “No Budget, No Pay” law in 2013 preventing lawmakers from getting paid if they didn’t pass a budget. However, the ad omits the fact that Bera did vote in 2013 for the two-year bipartisan budget agreement authored by Ryan and Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.).
{mosads}”Ami Bera said members of Congress shouldn’t get paid if they don’t pass a budget,” an announcer says. “But Bera hasn’t voted for a single Republican or Democratic budget in Congress. Not one.”
The announcer goes on to state that Bera has collected his $174,000 annual paycheck as a member of Congress.
“So how much has Bera collected from taxpayers for not doing his job? Over $300,000 dollars. Typical politician, Ami Bera. No budget, you pay,” the announcer says.
In both 2013 and 2014, Bera voted against the spending blueprint authored by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) as well as every alternative budget offered during its consideration.
The five budget alternatives in both years were offered by House Democrats, Republican Study Committee, Congressional Progressive Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus and mock votes requested by Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) on Senate Democrats’ budget in 2013 and President Obama’s budget proposal in 2014.
A spokeswoman for Bera slammed the ad and opponent Doug Ose, a former lawmaker, for failing to acknowledge his vote on the 2013 Ryan-Murray agreement that became law.
“Doug Ose should be ashamed of this outrageous and completely false ad,” said Bera spokeswoman Allison Teixeira. “Clearly Congressman Ose just wants to distract from his record of taking multiple Congressional pay raises and a lavish Congressional pension.”
Of course, Bera, a freshman Democrat, isn’t the only House member to reject every proposal this year. A total of 37 members voted against all six budgets in 2014.
This story was updated at 5:29 p.m.