Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Kline Cuts Minnesotans But Spares Big Business

On Monday, John Kline voted to approved a spending bill that would cut $39.7 billion over five years. The goal was $42 billion, but Republican leaders spared pharmaceutical companies and insurance firms.

While sparing big businesses John Kline voted cuts to programs that aid working families like Medicaid and Student Loans.

Also just today drilling supporters fell four votes short of getting the required 60 votes to avoid a threatened filibuster of the defense spending legislation. Senate leaders were expected to withdraw the legislation so it could be reworked without the refuge language. The vote was 56-44.

Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, who has fought to allow oil exploration and development in the refuge’s coastal plain since 1980, angered many of his Senate colleagues by attaching the drilling measure to the must-pass defense spending bill. Senators determined to protect the refuge from development found it difficult to oppose the politically popular defense bill, which has money for troops in Iraq, relief for Katrina hurricane victims and help for low-income families to pay energy bills.

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