WASHINGTON, D.C. — The House probably has the votes to pass the $700 billion economic stabilization bill, Rep. Doug Lamborn of Colorado Springs said today.
Lamborn opposed the original bailout bill that the House defeated Monday and plans to vote against the new bill passed by the Senate, but hears that others will switch their votes.
“I just know through the grapevine that some of the things that were added in the Senate version are appealing to people in the House who voted no,” Lamborn said. “Some of those things are going to be enough to bring people over.”
Lamborn belongs to the Republican Study Committee, the most conservative wing of the Republican caucus. That group helped lead opposition to the bill, though 95 Democrats joined 133 Republicans in voting no.
Two of the others from Colorado who voted no the first time around aren’t offering clues on how they will vote tomorrow.
No votes came from Lamborn and Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave of Fort Morgan, and Democratic Reps. John Salazar of Manassa and Mark Udall of Eldorado Springs.
Salazar hasn’t made up his mind, but has “serious reservations,” about the bill coming back from the Senate, said his spokesman, Eric Wortman.
“There’s no question that some of the things in the bill themselves are good,” Wortman said. “The problem is they took a $700 billion bill and added more costs to it. One of John’s chief concerns was the sheer size of the bill.”
Udall, who is in a heated battle for a Senate seat, hasn’t made up his mind yet, said his spokeswoman Heather Fox. She declined to answer what Udall thought about the provisions the Senate added or how he would decide his vote.
“He is still reviewing the bill and talking to folks,” Fox said.
Musgrave’s spokesman did not return phone messages.
Yes votes came from Rep. Tom Tancredo, a Littleton Republican and Democratic Reps. Diana DeGette of Denver and Ed Perlmutter of Golden.
Tancredo said he is still voting yes, and spokespeople for DeGette and Perlmutter said they would probably vote yes.
“It’s essentially the same bill,” Tancredo said, adding that the major change is adding in the extension of tax credits and tax reductions, which the House had already passed in an earlier bill.
His yes vote will come despite right wing opposition to the bill. Conservative radio and TV is stirring up opposition, he said, arguing that those tax extensions the Senate added equal pork barrel spending.
“It’s causing us a lot of grief,” Tancredo said. “It makes it even more difficult to try and get it passed.”
The overarching need to stabilize the economy, Tancredo said, “is much more significant than each of these individual things.”
Anne C. Mulkern: 202-662-8907 or
