This was a vote on an amendment by Rep. Francisco Canseco (R-TX) eliminating $10.7 million in funding for the East-West Center, which was established to improve relations between the United States and Asia. This amendment was offered to legislation funding the federal government (such bills are known as “continuing resolutions, or “CRs”) through September 2011, and cutting $61 billion in federal funding for many government programs.

Canseco urged support for his amendment: “I'm not here to debate the merits of the East-West Center. I'm not here to question whether or not the money has been used to do good things. What I'm here to do today is to debate and question why this program should be considered a priority and receive taxpayer funding when we're in a fiscal crisis. Make no mistake, we are in a fiscal crisis that threatens not only our economic security but our national security.”

Del. Eni Faleomavega (D-American Samoa) opposed the amendment: “…The East-West Center promotes a better understanding among the peoples and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific region, and this understanding is critical to our own economic, political, and social interests, especially our strategic and military interests in this region of the world. The Asia Pacific region is the world's most populous region, where more than 4 billion people live, currently more than 60 percent of the world's population. Two of the three largest economies in the world are in the Asia Pacific region. Our trade and commercial relations with the Asia Pacific region are critical to our own economic interests in this important region.”

The House agreed to this amendment by a vote of 274-155. Voting “yea” were 230 Republicans and 44 Democrats. 148 Democrats—including a majority of progressives--and 7 Republicans voted “nay.” As a result, the House agreed to an amendment eliminating $10.7 million in funding for the East-West Center, which was established to improve relations between the United States and Asia.