Via TheBlogfather comes news about 435 Blogs in 435 Districts. Now, I’m a big fan of the Porkbuster’s project, although I do think it is doomed to the sort of failure and mainstream irrelevance that one can ususally only count on from the leftosphere. That said, I think this is a worthwhile endevour.
I live, as now, in Henry Bonilla’s district, that would be TX-23. As you can see from this document (warning .pdf), Bonilla has voted against every one of Jeff Flake’s anti-pork amendments. This isn’t particularly surprising, and it serves as yet another clear reminder that Republicans are not actually a party of fiscal discipline and restraint. This is especially evident from the “Agriculture” section of Bonilla’s site:
- In 2004 the President’s budget request was the largest request ever before Congress, $81.7 billion. As Congress discusses ways to balance the budget and get a hold of spending, Henry believes Congress needs to take a look at the growth of mandatory programs that go forward on autopilot. Every year Congress attempts to curb spending by going after the annual appropriations process, and while belt-tightening is needed everywhere, mandatory spending is where the money resides.
- That said, Title One of the 2002 Farm Bill has not, and should not, be opened. Farmers and ranchers depend on the security offered by long term planning and financial knowledge, and it is for this reason Title One should remain intact. In a world were producers don’t control the weather, prices and a thousand other factors, the Farm Bill must be used to present farmers and ranchers consistency.
We can take that to mean that Bonilla doesn’t want to piss off the rich ranchers who fund his campaigns, buy him dinner every so often, and help keep him plump with free beef.
A quick look at the “Immigration” section tells us the following about Mr. .000 anti-pork average:
- Henry has a long record of supporting legislation that recognizes the importance of the Border Patrol as the nation’s first line of defense in homeland security. Using his senior role on the Appropriations Committee, Bonilla has secured millions of dollars for Border Patrol staff, equipment and check-point improvements. Bonilla is co-chair of the Congressional Border Caucus and Vice Chair of the U.S. / Mexico Congressional Caucus. He represents more than 700 miles of the Texas/Mexico border.
Translation: “I’ve secured millions of dollars to waste near the border on ineffective measures that benefit the powerful law-enforcement lobby in my district without alienating the large Hispanic population.”
Bonilla also supports the Department of Homeland Security, having voted to establish it.
The overall picture painted by the above is even less flattering than the banner picture on the Congresscritter’s website. He even favors the sort of legislative tinkering in education that makes everything more expensive while reducing efficiency! Everyone wins! Further, the jackass supports the FMA and wants to make the United States a “country that respects life” by making sure that knocked-up teenagers have to have babies. A short look at Bonilla’s record makes it obvious exactly why he voted against Flake’s amendments: he’s proud of his pork spending, and doesn’t want to offend anyone lest his projects be next on the block. That’s how we roll in good ol’ TX-23.
I can’t wait to vote against you in November, Henry.
UPDATE: The 19 votes Bonilla failed to cast in the right direction are listed at the bottom of the Club for Growth post linked above and include hydroponic tomato production in Ohio as well as an aquarium in New London, CT. Yeesh.
