Posted on 07/25/2003 2:52:06 PM PDT by nickcarraway
WASHINGTON - Democratic presidential hopeful Dick Gephardt (news - web sites) missed a House vote Friday on a Republican-backed bill that would overhaul the landmark Head Start education program, a measure that survived in the House by a hairbreadth margin.
The 217-216 Republican victory came after midnight Thursday and was so tenuous that Rep. John Sullivan , R-Okla., recovering from a car accident, was brought in by wheelchair. But Gephardt, the former House Minority leader, had left Thursday evening for a two-day campaign swing through South Carolina, and the Head Start vote became one of hundreds he has missed this year.
The only other lawmaker who failed to make the vote was Democratic Rep. Ed Pastor , who was on a late flight returning from Arizona after attending to his ill father.
The GOP legislation allows up to eight states to apply for control over their Head Start programs, the nation's early education plan for low-income children.
Supporters say the bill would make Head Start more effective by allowing states to coordinate it with their own education efforts. Democrats accused Republicans of dismantling a program that has provided nutritional, social, emotional and literacy help to more than 20 million needy children since 1965. The measure heads to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain.
Gephardt said although he opposes the bill, he doesn't think his vote would have made a difference.
"I try to make as many of the votes as I can, but the Republicans tend to produce as many votes as they need to win these things, unfortunately," he said during a campaign stop in South Carolina. "They are in control. They have enough votes to do that."
The two leading House Democrats echoed Gephardt's assessment, saying even if he had voted against the bill, the Republican leadership would have persuaded another moderate to support it. A tied vote would have meant defeat for the measure.
"The Republicans, they win by one, but they had some in the bank," said House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California. "That wasn't a one-vote thing."
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said the Republican leadership allowed members facing a tough re-election to oppose the bill so their vote couldn't be used against them in next year's campaign. Gephardt's vote wasn't the issue, said Hoyer, who did concede that it would have been helpful if Gephardt had been there to force another Republican to cast a tough vote.
Hoyer and Pelosi have endorsed Gephardt's presidential campaign.
Gephardt, who led the House Democrats before relinquishing his leadership post to run for president, has missed more than 350 votes this year, roughly 90 percent of those taken in the House, according to a Republican count.
The only other House member seeking the presidency, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (news, bio, voting record) of Ohio, has not missed any votes. Four senators also are running for president, and all have skipped votes for campaign events, but none to the degree of Gephardt. Sen. John Kerry (news, bio, voting record), D-Mass., has not been present for roughly half the votes in the Senate, giving him the second-highest missed-vote record among the presidential contenders, according to the Republican count.
Kerry refused to criticize his rival during a campaign stop Friday in Iowa.
"Look, I'm going to be very sympathetic," he said. "We're all missing some votes because we're out here trying to run for president of the United States. He has to make that judgment."
Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean has said part of the reason he decided not to run for re-election as Vermont governor was to campaign full time without neglecting the duties of his office. Dean said it's not his call whether Gephardt should step down, but he said he was disappointed the Missouri congressman missed the Head Start vote.
"If you really consider children's issues a priority, you can't miss votes like this," Dean said.
Overall, much of the bill went through the House without controversy. It raises academic expectations for children and requires more teachers to hold a bachelor's degree, for example.
But Democrats opposed the shift in power to states and a provision allowing faith-based groups that run Head Start to hire people based on their religion.
Opponents to the bill included Missouri Gov. Bob Holden, a Democrat who sent a letter to Gephardt and the rest of the state's congressional delegation requesting they increase funding for Head Start instead of shifting costs to the states.
Brockman: This is Kent Brockman reporting from ... my own home, in accordance with the new curfew for anyone under seventy.
Marge: Mmm ... I can't believe that passed.
Lisa: I warned you guys that seniors always vote in record numbers!
Brockman: The controversial measure passed by a single vote.
Marge: Oh, you really should have voted, Homer.
Homer: Pfft, it wouldn't have made a difference.
Talk about hitching your wagon to a dead jackass....
At least "Dennis the Menace" has made every House vote. Even "Howard the Duck" has one principle he stands by. Kerry is phony, lying hypocrite.
OTOH, all three are liberal socialists and can't be trusted.
Then why was Sullivan pushed into the chamber in a wheelchair, Nancy?
Admit it, Pelosi: YOU AND GOLDEN BOY SCREWED UP CHENEY*!!
* "Cheney" = Big Time.
There aren't very many Republicans facing tough re-election. Now, when we finish redistricting in Texas, there will be a bunch of Rats who have to find a real job.
"Hello, this is (unintelligible). We want you to circle the airport for another hour. Got it?"
Pilot:
"Ladies and gentlemen, there will be a slight flight delay in our arrival into the Capitol."
babelfish translation: "I don't have to vote if I don't want to. It's the Republicans' fault. They stuff the ballot box anyway."
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