Porter bucking his party

wplog

Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2007 | noon

WASHINGTON — Lost in last week’s presidential debate frenzy was some of the action on Capitol Hill.

On the eve of the debate, Nevada Republican Rep. Jon Porter cast his lot with Democrats in their efforts to override President Bush’s veto of a spending bill for the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. The override failed. But Porter was one of 51 Republicans who bucked the party to vote against the president. Another 141 Republicans (and zero Democrats) voted to uphold the veto.

The bill was the first missive in a growing war over the appropriations bills, most of which Bush says he will veto for overspending. The bills overshoot Bush’s budget by $22 billion. Democrats complain that Bush signed the bills when Republicans ran Congress, even when they went over budget.

Porter has backed many of the bills despite the veto threat, establishing himself as a more moderate member of his party. Fellow Nevada Republican Rep. Dean Heller, for example, in a more safely Republican district, voted to uphold the veto.

Check out this recent story on Porter’s moderating shift.

Porter’s spokesman said the congressman voted to override Bush because he believed in the bill’s increased funding for college financial aid grants, cancer research and programs for low-income school children. The bill also contained earmarks for Nevada, including $500,000 for the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy.