U.S. House Expresses Disdain for War Spending Bill by Passing It

As we all know, spending billions of federal dollars is bad and terrible and wasteful, unless it's for a war. Luckily, the $106 billion emergency war funding bill that passed the House of Representatives last night has the words 'emergency' and 'war' right there in the title, and also, duh, funding is funding. Spending's just pork.

But here's the weird part. House Republicans — previously gung-ho-ish about war spending — voted en masse against this particular funding bill. Explain please?

Along with providing more than $82 billion in war-related funding, the bill includes $5 billion to secure $108 billion in loans to the IMF and $1 billion to pay for “cash for clunkers” vouchers to those who trade in their vehicles for more fuel- efficient models. It also would allow detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to be transferred to the U.S. for trial. [...]

All but five of the 175 House Republicans who voted yesterday opposed the legislation, largely because of the IMF provision.

“Passing a $108 billion global bailout on the backs of our soldiers is just not right,” said Representative Mike Pence of Indiana, the chamber’s No. 3 Republican. “Emergency war funding bills should be about emergency war funding.”

Sure, just like how farm bills should be about farm policy. Well, whatever, the Democrats must be glad they got their way on this…

One of those voting yes was Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), who had earlier said that he opposed the war funding. "We are in the process of wrapping up the wars. The president needed our support. But the substance still sucks," Weiner said.

Yay! Everybody wins!