GOP LEADER ALERT 9-17-09

ACORN’S ENABLERS: HOUSE DEMOCRATS’ LENGTHY RECORD OF PROTECTING A TROUBLED ORGANIZATION

WILL DEMOCRATS SUPPORT HOUSE GOP’S DEFUND ACORN ACT?; MORE THAN $53 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING HAS GONE TO ACORN SINCE 1994

September 17, 2009 | House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) | Permalink

While House Republicans have renewed their efforts to end federal funding for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) once and for all, a look back at just the past year reveals the countless opportunities Majority Democrats had to join Republicans in reining in ACORN. Instead, they rejected numerous attempts by House Republicans to cut off the flow of taxpayer dollars and bring much-needed transparency to an organization whose employees have recently been accused of serious crimes.

THE “POWERS THAT BE” SAID ‘NO’

Following testimony about ACORN at a subcommittee hearing on the 2008 election, Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) declared the accusations against ACORN a “pretty serious matter” and suggested that the committee examine them. Conyers later put a stop to the idea, saying that “[t]he powers that be decided against it.” Who exactly are the “powers that be”? House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)? Other Democratic leaders? The Administration?
KEEP THE MONEY FLOWING

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) offered an amendment to the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act (H.R 1728) during a Financial Services Committee markup to ban groups like ACORN from receiving housing counseling and legal assistance funds, and the amendment was accepted by voice vote. The next day, Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) said that he “made a mistake” by accepting Bachmann’s amendment and stated his intent to “correct” it. Frank offered his amendment to weaken Bachmann’s amendment on the House floor, and it passed by a vote of 245-176 on May 7, 2009.
Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) filed an amendment to the Democrats’ trillion-dollar “stimulus” – officially mis-named as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1) – with the Rules Committee to prohibit non-profit groups such as ACORN from receiving federal funds. However, the Democratic-controlled Rules Committee refused to make the amendment in order for consideration on the House floor on January 27, 2009.
Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL) offered an amendment to the Financial Services Committee’s Budget Views and Estimates that would have instituted safeguards against and restrictions to groups such as ACORN receiving taxpayer dollars. It was defeated by a roll call vote of 27-37 in the Financial Services Committee on March 11, 2009.
Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) offered an amendment to the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act (H.R. 1728) to require ACORN and affiliated organizations to provide for more transparency and accountability with any funds received under this legislation. It was defeated by voice vote in the Democratic-controlled Rules Committee on May 6, 2009.
Rep. Steve King (R-IA) offered an amendment to the Enhancing Small Business Research and Innovation Act (H.R. 2965) to prohibit ACORN and its affiliate organizations from participating in a rural development and outreach program. It was defeated by a roll call vote of 4-7 in the Democratic-controlled Rules Committee on July 7, 2009.
Rep. King offered an amendment to the FY 2010 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act (H.R. 3288) to prohibit funds in the bill from being made available to ACORN or any of its affiliate organizations. It was defeated by a roll call vote of 2-7 in the Democratic-controlled Rules Committee on July 22, 2009.
Rep. King and Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL) offered amendment to the FY 2010 Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act (H.R. 3293) to prohibit funding in the bill from being made available to ACORN or any of its affiliate organizations. It was defeated by a roll call vote of 4-7 in the Democratic-controlled Rules Committee on July 23, 2009.
The Majority now has yet another opportunity to join House Republicans in severing all ties between the federal government and ACORN by supporting the Defund ACORN Act (H.R. 3571). Enough is enough. The American people are tired of seeing their tax dollars wasted on an organization accused of serious crimes and they want to defund ACORN once and for all. House Democrats have a choice to make: Will they side with American taxpayers, or will they continue to protect ACORN?