Conservatives try to filibuster troop funding
If the filibuster on the $626 billion defense bill had succeeded, Democrats would have had to scramble to find a way to fund the military operations, because a stopgap funding measure for the Pentagon will expire at midnight Friday. Such an effort to come up with another stopgap defense bill might have disrupted the very tight timeline on health careIn 2007 House Republican Leader John Boehner wrote this when Democrats were ready to vote for a similar funding bill, but wanted it tied to some kind of withdrawal date for the troops in Iraq( a timetable Bush opposed, but later agreed to when it would appear to be his idea),
Washington, Apr 18, 2007 -
Last week, House Republicans released a report exposing Democrats’ record of failure on national security and notes “there is still time to do the right thing: fully-fund our troops without strings attached.” Whatever Democrats “tactical” reasons are for delaying funding for our troops in harm’s way, their intransigence is having a real and negative impact on the ability of our troops to wage the Global War on Terror. It is time for Democrats to do the right thing: bring up a clean troop funding bill without strings and without pork.Boehner is against pork, but he is pro legislative favors for pay,
Boehner hands out 'tobacco checks' on floor of HouseThere is not much difference between Johnnie Boy and organized crime. A prime example of the Conservative Culture of Corruption.
In late June of 1995 then-GOP Conference Chairman John Boehner handed out "about a half-dozen" checks from the political action committee of tobacco company Brown & Williamson Corp. to fellow Republicans on the floor of the House.
Boehner's chief of staff Barry Jackson stated, "We were trying to help guys who needed to get their June 30th numbers up, their cash-on-hand numbers up. All leadership does this. We have to raise money for people and help them raise money."
Boehner was forced to stop handed out the checks when two freshmen Republicans, "appalled by it," confronted him and voiced their displeasure. Boehner's reaction was one of tempered apology, "I thought, 'Yeah, I can imagine why somebody would be upset. It sure doesn't look good.' It's not an excuse, but the floor is the only place you get to see your colleagues. It was a matter of convenience. You make a mistake, admit it and go on. I just feel bad about it." (Associated Press, 5/10/96)
Sallie Mae and For-Profit Schools
The single largest contributor to Boehner's leadership PAC since 1989 is Sallie Mae, the student lending giant, with contributions totaling $122,000.[8]
Boehner, until his recent ascension to the Majority Leader post, was the chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. In this position Boehner was able to oversee and push issues favorable to the student loan industry, including Sallie Mae. Boehner recently championed a bill that would "soften [proposed] cuts to lenders" and "deal a serious blow to the competing direct-loan program."[9] The direct-loan program provides loans directly to students through their school, rather than through private lenders and banks. The bill also sought to prevent students from consolidating their loans.
According to The New Republic, "Several GAO and CBO studies have found that the direct-lending program costs taxpayers much less than extending loans through lenders like Sallie Mae. Government watchdogs have estimated that every dollar loaned through these middlemen costs the federal government at least 9 cents."[10]
Prior to pushing the bill, which was eventually passed and signed by President Bush, Boehner delivered this comforting message to the Consumer Bankers Association, "Know that I have all of you in my two trusted hands. I've got enough rabbits up my sleeve to be able to get where we need to."[11]
Boehner has "[o]n several occassions ... been a guest of Albert L. Lord, Sallie Mae's chief executive officer, on the corporate jet, primarily for golf outings in Florida. The company also helped sponsor a party that Mr. Boehner threw in New York at the 2004 Republican National Convention."[12]
Boehner's leadership PAC has also received a large amount of money from for-profit schools, who have gained from Boehner's chairmanship of the Education and Workforce Committee. From 2003-2004 Boehner's PAC received $102,000 from for-profit schools.[13]
