House rejects another $2.1 billion in spending cuts to spending bill

The largest proposed cut in early Wednesday voting was from Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who offered a $1.2 billion cut to the National Science Foundation, to bring it back to pre-stimulus levels. But the House rejected that amendment 121-291, in a vote that split Republicans 121-112.

{mosads}Members also turned away an amendment from Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) to cut several items under the bill by 12.2 percent. No savings estimate was given for this amendment, but it was likely in the hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars. The House spiked this proposal 105-307.

Another, from Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), proposed a 1 percent reduction to all programs in the bill, saving $511 million. But the House killed this as well, in a 160-251 vote.

The House also voted down a proposal from Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.) to cut $128 million from the Legal Services Corporation, and one from Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) to eliminate the corporation altogether to save $328 million. These proposals were turned away in votes of 165-246 and 122-289, respectively.

Members only accepted one amendment to reduce spending, from Broun, which would reduce salaries at the Marine Mammal Commission by 6 percent, saving $181,000. That language was accepted by voice vote.

These amendment votes followed a long day of debate and votes on Tuesday, but members were expected to take up additional amendments when they return Wednesday. The House adjourned shortly after the last roll-call vote on amendments, just before 12:30 a.m. Wednesday morning.

The House took several other votes on amendments that sought to transfer funds between agencies. Vote results from Wednesday morning follow here (earlier amendment votes can be seen in earlier posts):

• Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.), to transfer $10 million from DOJ’s State Alien Assistance program, which helps states pay for costs associated with incarcerating criminal aliens, to the Second Chance Act program, aimed at helping former prisoners find work. Rejected 99-311.

• Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.), to fund the federal COPS program, which helps states and cities hire police, at the 2012 level. It transfers $126 million from cross-agency support account for NASA. Accepted 206-204.

• Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.), to strike language preventing prisons from hiring private contractors for certain jobs. Rejected 199-211.

• Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), to take $34 million from the ATF to increase funding to address a rape-kit backlog. Withdrawn.

• Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), to transfer $7.1 million to the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission to investigate discrimination against the unemployed. Rejected 96-314.

• Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), to strike language that bans private-sector competition for work done by government workers. Withdrawn.

• Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), to maintain $30 million in funding for DOJ’s Internet Crime Against Children program. Accepted by voice vote.

• Rep. Steve Southerland (R-Fla.), to prevent the use of funds for any “catch share” fishing programs under the jurisdiction of the South Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, New England, or Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. Accepted 220-191.