Hoyer, Dems blast GOP budget bill, budget discipline

Other Democrats joined Hoyer’s criticism and argued, as others have, that the budget should reflect U.S. values, and that it goes too far.

Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) Wednesday morning argued that Republicans are “anti-choice and anti-women” based partly on language in the bill that would re-impose the “global gag rule” preventing the direction of U.S. funds to doctors that discuss the option of abortion.

“The Republican leadership has laser focus not on jobs or the economy or the national security, but on attacking women and children in this bill, waging a culture war to get campaign contributions from the extremists in this country,” McDermott said. “Republicans love to silence Americans and anyone else that gets on their moral crusade. Only a real Republican could love a law that says it has a gag rule.”

Rep. Laura Richardson (D-Calif.) took to the floor to argue against cuts in funding for police and community development block grants. On Tuesday, an amendment from Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) that would restore funding for police was subject to a Republican point of order and thus cannot be considered.

Also subject to a point of order was an amendment from Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) that would have moved $1 billion in Defense spending to community health centers.

— This story was updated at 11:26 a.m.