Louisville Courier-Journal
November 20, 2005

House Republicans, with Northup's support, target those in need

As the week ended, our U.S. House of Representatives decided that some of those most in need of help should pay for all the tax breaks it has given the rich, all the pork barrel projects members have sent home, all the billions being spent in Iraq -- in short, all the items on the huge bill run up by congressional cynicism, profligacy and unwisdom.

In the middle of the night, the House took its knife to student aid, Medicaid, food stamps, school lunch and nutrition programs, child support collection efforts, foster care programs, farm programs including funds for conservation easements and a host of other things, for a net cut of some $53 billion.

As the Associated Press reported, "House Republicans basked in triumph after razor-thin passage" of this "sweeping budget cut plan."

Some triumph. I regret that my representative was part of it. My guess is that it's not the kind of thing folks here want their person in Washington to do. Despite some concessions by House leadership (the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities calculated that the changes softened cuts aimed at the poor by 2 percent), it still is a terrible bill. Maybe a more humane Senate approach eventually will prevail.

Although I wasn't surprised, I'm sorry that U.S. Rep. Anne Northup and the other GOP representatives from this region voted with the "razor-thin" GOP majority that did this to some of those most in need. I wish they had joined the 14 Republicans who voted "no," some of them after harshly condemning this mean-spirited legislation.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was right when she called this "an attack on America's children, America's families and America's middle class. All of this to give a tax cut to the wealthiest people in our country. This budget is a sham and it's a shame. Democrats believe that together, America can do better."

The National Council of Churches USA wrote every member to say, "The role of government is to protect its people and work for the common good. This is not the time for a budget reconciliation process. To do so is not only unjust, it's a sin. It violates all the fundamental Christian principles of loving thy neighbor, caring for the poor and showing mercy. As religious leaders, this is a violation that is unacceptable to us. How is it that we show mercy for oil millionaires and not hurricane survivors? We urge you to change this destructive course of action for the sake of our nation and for generations to come."

As former President Jimmy Carter is saying in speeches and a new book, government of this kind doesn't represent America's traditional values.

Hours before the broader bill came up, GOP leaders actually lost an equally dramatic vote on the one-year spending plan for the Education, Labor and Health and Human Services departments. I'm sorry that not one GOP House member from Kentucky and Southern Indiana was among the 22 Republicans who stood up for people who weren't there to stand up for themselves.

I'm especially sorry that my representative was on the wrong side, but then I have to remind myself that she never has claimed to be moderate or centrist, as I believe her district is. The cover story in a recent Congressional Quarterly points out that she is one of only two members of the invitation–only, highly conservative House Republican Study Committee who represent districts that preferred John Kerry for president.

Asked to comment, Northup's office said this on Friday:

"Every day, David Hawpe is becoming more desperate to scare up an opponent for Anne Northup. Earlier this week, he went so far as to question the manliness of people who decide against challenging her.

"In the meantime, Mr. Hawpe must be one of the few so-called journalists in the country who would take a press release from a partisan political organization (in this case the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, whose stated goal is to defeat Republicans) and demand answers to their distorted claims.

"For eight years now, voters have sent Anne Northup to Washington to be their representative in Congress, the last time with 60 percent of the vote. Over that period of time, voters have examined and re-examined her voting record. Simply stated, she is conservative, believing that smaller government is better. She believes that government should tighten its belt -- and eliminate programs that simply don't work. She believes that taxes should be low, so that the economy will continue to grow and workers can keep more of their own hard-earned money to support their families.

"Anne Northup recently voted to cut our deficit by $50 billion dollars over five years. That savings represents just one-half of 1 percent of the $7.8 trillion in mandatory spending programs over the next five years. To give some perspective to these huge numbers, the Heritage Foundation said that this challenge is no greater than that facing a family of four making $50,000 a year and suddenly faced with the need to pay off a $250 emergency room bill over a five-year period.

"With David Hawpe, you can expect lots of 'the sky is falling' rhetoric. For the other side of the story, please visit our website at www.northup.house.gov."

Northup is right that I was too personal in attacking Jack Conway for his decision not to run. I apologize. Conway's decision means voters probably won't have an opportunity for an up or down vote on their representative's performance. I'm sorry about that, too.

David Hawpe's columns appear Sundays and Wednesdays. E-mail him at dhawpe@courier-journal.com.