House Democrats and more centrist Republicans joined forces Wednesday to preserve funding for the Legal Services Corporation and restore more than $800 million for two local police and firefighter programs backed by the White House. The victories were not without cost, forcing deep cuts from the nation’s space program as well research and development funds in the Department of Homeland Security. 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.
For example, 68 Republicans backed Democrats in defense of preserving at least reduced funding for legal aid to the poor. Minutes later, 70 joined 158 Democrats on a 228-203 vote that restored $280 million for the Community Oriented Policing Services or COPS program, a favorite initiative of Vice President Biden. And given the power of the firefighter lobby, 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.
Under the rules of debate, any increase to the bill must be matched by cuts elsewhere, but Democrats saw the victories as important nonetheless as a statement of their priorities.
“Do I like the idea we have to take it from NASA space exploration? I don’t know any of the crime statistics on Mars, and I’m interested, but it’s a bad choice,” said Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) who sponsored the COPS amendment. “In a way, I’m playing the game too. I’m taking from one place to give to another. But I do believe it’s in the interest of all of us to try to set these priorities straight.”
