Posted on 12/11/2014 10:58:19 AM PST by maggief
The cromnibus had an unlikely savior Thursday afternoon in the form of a lame-duck lawmaker who used to raise reindeer.
Rep. Kerry Bentivolio (R-Mich.), who lost his primary earlier this year, was originally among the conservative Republicans who voted against the rule.
Without the help of Democrats, Republicans could only lose 17 of their own to pass the rule, which sets up floor debate for the underlying "cromnibus" spending bill. Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) intervened once there were 18 Republican defectors — and not a single Democrat voting "yes." Many Democrats will vote against the government spending measure because they don't like provisions in it regarding campaign finance and changes to the Dodd-Frank financial overhaul.
Boehner lobbied conservatives who voted against the bill in the center of the House floor, including Bentivolio and Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.), who also switched his vote.
After a brief conversation with Boehner, Bentivolio then walked over to a voting machine and switched his vote. No other lawmakers appeared to try to persuade him to do otherwise.
The Speaker also tried lobbying other defectors like Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.), but didn't change their minds.
Ultimately, 16 Republicans voted against the rule and it passed on a squeaker vote of 214-212.
The 16 Republican defectors were Reps. Justin Amash (Mich.), Michele Bachmann (Minn.), Dave Brat (Va.), Mo Brooks (Ala.), Paul Broun (Ga.), Louie Gohmert (Texas), Paul Gosar (Ariz.), Tim Huelskamp (Kan.), Walter Jones (N.C.), Jim Jordan (Ohio), Steve King (Iowa), Raúl Labrador (Idaho), Thomas Massie (Ky.), Bill Posey (Fla.), Matt Salmon (Ariz.) and Steve Stockman (Texas).
The underlying bill is more likely to pass later Thursday afternoon because Democrats who opposed the rule have said they will vote for the cromnibus to avoid a government shutdown at midnight.
Washington, DC Office
226 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
phone: 202-225-8171
https://www.facebook.com/repkerryb
Comment: Now please stop CROMNIBUS. I have called your office but the message machine is full. Thank you
21 hours ago
Kerry BentivolioVerified account
@RepKerryB
Rudolf The Red knows rain, Dear.
Boner’s sell-out of America is a done deal.
Want to know how bad the Cromnibus is?
Obama supports it.
Is this the guy that campaigned as a tea partier and then has been constantly stabbing us in the back???
What was his lame-duck payoff?
Probably a job as he will be out of work in January.
They probably bought him a Volvo.
01 Jan 2014
Initially elected with support from tea partiers in Michigan’s 11th District, which covers Oakland and Wayne Counties, and with the support of Ron Paul, Bentivolio disappointed some backers when he voted to extend the debt ceiling. More recently, he spoke out against any U.S. action in Syria and was one of 62 House Republicans to oppose the Ryan-Murray bipartisan budget agreement.
His tea party pedigree notwithstanding, Bentivolio has the strong backing of Speaker John Boehner and all of the House GOP leaders. Five of the six state Republican Party officers are in his camp, as is Republican National Committeeman Dave Agema.
http://michiganradio.org/post/rep-kerry-bentivolio-puts-fight-against-his-own-party
OCT 29, 2014
Basically, he feels that Trott and the GOP establishment stabbed him in the back, have worked for two years to ruin his reputation, and he isn’t going to take it anymore.
(snip)
The only bad things Bentivolio had to say were about the GOP establishment.
“They believe you have to be anointed to run for office - that you are supposed to kiss the ring,” he told me, adding, “That’s not how the founding fathers saw this country.”
I told him that some Republicans saw his effort as sour grape resentment, and he admits that he does feel some of that.
Bentivolio also knows that his write-in effort could well help Democratic nominee Bobby McKenzie, but he feels that when a Republican congressman is doing a good job, he doesn’t deserve to be challenged in his own party’s primary.
Not only did Trott do that, but Bentivolio feels he unfairly smeared his reputation.
When he left some of those attacks up on the internet after the primary, Bentivolio announced he would write his own name in “as a shot across his bow.”
But Trott still didn’t take the offending material down, and meanwhile, Bentivolio’s staff members in Washington started hearing they would be blacklisted from new jobs.
That did it.
Kerry Bentivolio, a career army officer and former teacher, is not a wealthy man.
He doesn’t know what he will do if he doesn’t get reelected, and may be looking at personal bankruptcy.
Colorado’s newly elected rep senator (gardner) not among the no votes I see. He will be a fence walker uhttps://www.origin.com/en-us/store/free-games/on-the-housenfortunately.
I hope Amash and the others told him to pound sand when he came crawling.
John Boehner, Enemy of the State!
Looks like Georgia Girl is right!
What Mr. Bentivolio will do next is unclear. He told me he owes about $150,000, needs to work, and may be looking at personal bankruptcy. But he doesn’t rule out staying in politics.
perhaps we should be eliminating the lame duck sessions to prevent sore loser voting.
Some conservative news outlet needs to investigate this; find out if there was a pay off and what it was.
Good find....
that would give him a fresh start. That is why the founders put that in the constitution before the bill of rights.
Boner’s sell-out of America is a done deal.
Mary Landrieu sold America out and look where that got her. We are going to continue to clean house until we have ever lying, liberal, unAmerican, socialist out of our government. And, no playing footsie with the enemy (within and without)!
I would like to see that. It no longer takes weeks or months to travel to D.C. as in the 1700's.
It would also force the Congress critters to vote on legislation before the elections instead of waiting to see who wins.
- - - - -
"Boosting the anxiety was a call published on the conservative RedState blog for GOP members who oppose the underlying bill to also oppose the rule.
"If a Republican opposes the continuing resolution, s/he must oppose the rule," stated the item. "Call your congressman and tell him to oppose the rule on the CRomnibus."
But Bentivolio said he was convinced to change his vote by the argument that voting down the rule would have ceded leverage to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
"I was the first one to vote no as a protest vote because I don't support amnesty," he said in a phone interview. "But when I realized that we were about to give Nancy Pelosi the floor, I said to hell with that and changed my vote."
Bentivolio, who lost reelection in a primary earlier this year, said he still plans to vote against the CRomnibus, however, and predicted that leadership will end up having to pass a short-term continuing resolution.
"Merry Christmas to 'em. They'll have to deal with it in the next Congress," he said. "
http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/gop-leaders-confident-spending-bill-will-pass-but-mull-fallback-plan-20141211
“But Bentivolio said he was convinced to change his vote by the argument that voting down the rule would have ceded leverage to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.”
What is he talking about? Boehner must be telling a lie a minute today, either that or Boehner offered Bentivolio a pay off and Benti is lying.
Keeping my eye on this guy ...
Thanks for that link:
Bentivolio, who lost reelection in a primary earlier this year, said he still plans to vote against the CRomnibus, however, and predicted that leadership will end up having to pass a short-term continuing resolution.
“Merry Christmas to ‘em. They’ll have to deal with it in the next Congress,” he said.
++++++++
http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/2014/12/11/bentivolio-casts-vote/20253953/
First, Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., who had not cast his vote at that point, voted yes. Then Bentivolio switched his vote from no to yes. Some reports said he was booed for the change.
“He didn’t want to hand over the floor to (House Democratic Leader) Nancy Pelosi,” said Bentivolio’s spokesman, Matt Chisholm, explaining that he changed his vote to deny Democrats a victory on the procedural vote.
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