Recall that all Jim Bunning wanted was for the Congress to agree to pay for the $10 billion dollar extension using the leftover TARP money.

Here's a letter from Senator Bunning in USA Today detailing his reasons for not giving the unanimous consent that was required for the bill to move forward:

Last week, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., asked to pass a 30-day extensions bill for unemployment insurance and other federal programs. Earlier in February, those extensions were included in a broader bipartisan bill that was paid for but did not meet Sen. Reid's approval, and he nixed the deal. When I saw the Democrats in Congress were going to vote on the extensions bill without paying for it and not following their own Pay-Go rules, I said enough is enough.

Many people asked me, "Why now?" My answer is, "Why not now?" Why can't a non-controversial measure in the Senate that would help those in need be paid for? If the Senate cannot find $10 billion to pay for a measure we all support, we will never pay for anything.

America is under a mountain of debt. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said in a hearing last month that the United States' debt is unsustainable. We are on the verge of a tipping point where America's debt will bring down our economy, and more people will join the unemployment lines. That is why I used my right as a United States Senator and objected.

In the end, Bunning came to what he thought was a compromise, and the bill moved forward for a vote.

It's always good for conservatives to remind themselves of who actually maintains conservative principles, and who only pretends to.

So this is the link to the Senate Roll Call vote on how each Senator eventually voted on this further addition to our debt.

21 Republican Senators voted for the bill, 19 Republican Senators voted against the bill.

Those Republicans who voted against:

Alexander (R-TN)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Coburn (R-OK)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hatch (R-UT)
Johanns (R-NE)
McConnell (R-KY)
Risch (R-ID)
Sessions (R-AL)
Thune (R-SD)

Those Republicans who voted for:

Bond (R-MO)
Brown (R-MA)
Brownback (R-KS)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
LeMieux (R-FL)
Lugar (R-IN)
McCain (R-AZ)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Roberts (R-KS)
Shelby (R-AL)
Snowe (R-ME)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Wicker (R-MS)

2 Comments • Print-friendly • Print-friendly w/comments

Comments:

The RINO’s are the second list. What is worse is the virulent attack on fiscal responsibility by the likes of Collins (R - Maine).

[1] Posted by robroy on 03-11-2010 at 02:02 PM • top

Looks like Hutchinson was MIA (campaining I would presume), and Cornyn, who is a FISCAL CONSERVATIVE voted against the measure. Texas got it right…

[2] Posted by B. Hunter on 03-11-2010 at 02:45 PM • top

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