A McCain amendment to strip Buy American provisions out of the stimulus bill was one of eight separate Republican amendments to go down in flames tonight (what a waste of time). McCain’s amendment, which failed 31-65, was a perfect demonstration of fear-based voting. Take a look at the Republicans that voted against it.
Sam Brownback (R-KS)- running for governor
Richard Burr (R-NC)- up for reelection
Susan Collins (R-ME)-
Lindsey Graham (R-SC)-
Chuck Grassley (R-IA)- up for reelection
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)- running for governor
Olympa Snowe (R-ME)-
Arlen Specter (R-PA)- up for reelection
David Vitter (R-LA)- up for reelection (after getting busted for wearing diapers with prostitutes)
Collins and Snowe have voted with the Democrats over 80% of the time in the 111th Congress and they both voted against almost all of tonight’s amendments. Other than them, Lindsey Graham was the only Republican that voted against stripping the Buy American provisions who isn’t going to be facing the voters next year. I don’t know what motivated Graham (he normally does whatever John McCain tells him to do) but I can tell what motivated the others. Republicans want to do the bidding of their corporate masters but not if it means that they are going to be thrown out of office. All the safe Republicans and all the Republicans that aren’t going to be facing the voters for four-to-six years voted to strip the Buy American provisions.
Now, I am not even sure it matters much either way whether these provisions remain in the bill. If you watch European business channels, they’re all very concerned about the provisions leading to a new era of protectionism. If you read David Sirota, you might conclude that the future of the nation depends on their inclusion. The truth of the matter is that the provisions are limited to spending in the stimulus bill and are unlikely to lead to any backlash in the form of Buy Germany or Buy Japanese laws getting enacted that will harm U.S. exports. At the same time, the jolt to American businesses the provisions might provide will be minor and temporary. They can stay or go, as far as I am concerned, without it having much of a lasting effect.
Yet, the debate about the provisions is still telling. If, as it appears, the Obama administration is a little queasy about their inclusion, they’re going to have to have them stripped out in conference. And I’m just not sure that that is going to fly given the resounding defeat of McCain’s amendment tonight.