WASHINGTON — An odd palette of Colorado bedfellows voted against a budget bill that kept the government open through Sept. 30 — a sign, perhaps, that the only people who were happy today were the centrists.
New Republican Reps. Cory Gardner and Scott Tipton both voted no on the measure that kept money flowing to the federal government with $37 billion in cuts.
They both say it didn’t go far enough.
“We’re looking forward to cutting trillions,” said Gardner’s spokeswoman Rachel Boxer.
Rep. Doug Lamborn also voted against the measure, but would not comment Thursday as to why.
Also voting no were Democratic Reps. Diana DeGette, of Denver, and Jared Polis, of Denver.
DeGette said the bill goes too far in chopping social programs and does not substantially enough spread the sacrifice.
“I want to make clear my commitment to reducing the deficit and balancing the budget,” DeGette said in a statement. “But a federal budget should reflect our nation’s priorities, and, as such, it must not have the most vulnerable among us forced to make the most sacrifice.”
Polis agreed, saying, “for all the talk of the Republicans’ commitment to cutting spending, the final 2011 budget bill was filled with cuts that news reports referred to as ‘budget tricks’,” he said. “They did almost nothing to reduce the deficit this week, but Republicans did deliver real cuts that hurt real people.”
Voting for the measure were Reps. Mike Coffman, R-Aurora, Ed Perlmutter, D-Jefferson County and Democrat Sens. Mark Udall and Michael Bennet.
“I’m not happy with every aspect of the bill we passed today,” Udall said, “but it was a crucial compromise to make sure our government keeps running and providing the services our constituents depend on.”
Jennifer Duffy, a senior editor at The Cook Political Report, said Colorado’s weird split reflected a “Goldilocks phenomenon.”
“The liberal Democrats think it did too much, the conservative Republicans think it didn’t do enough,” she said. “The middle is just right.”
Allison Sherry: 202-662-8907 or asherry@denverpost.com
