Strategic Voting
Members of the U.S. House gathered in Washington last Friday to pass a three trillion dollar spending bill, ostensibly to address the impact of COVID-19…but with plenty of pork for pet projects like cannabis production and vote-by-mail plans. It’s a non-starter in the U.S. Senate, and the White House has said it would veto it in current form. The money from the first nearly three trillion dollars from past bills hasn’t been fully distributed yet.
Iowa has four members in the U.S. House. The lone Republican, Steve King, voted against it. The lone Democrat who is not facing re-election, Dave Loebsack, voted for it.
That leaves 1st district member Abby Finkenauer and 3rd district member Cindy Axne. Both voted against the bill, two of only 14 Democrats to do so.
And each made virtually identical public statements, criticizing politics as usual in Washington and vowing to not stand for such things…as opposed to the politics as usual that led to plenty of pork in the first bill and GOP Senate members saying they felt they were held hostage. It’s quite appropriate for Nancy Pelosi to be wearing a mask in public these days, and it’s not due to the pandemic.
The bill passed with a few votes to spare, and those Democrats who voted against it were typically first-term members in the midwest, up against tough re-election fights. All used the same language, almost as if it was given to them by party leaders. And we know how the game works, once the Speaker knew there were enough votes to pass the bill, she allowed members who might have a political problem justifying a yes vote to vote no, simply for re-election posturing back home.
One no vote does not change a pattern of voting. But it’s up to voters to remember that.
