This was a vote on an amendment by Rep. John Boccieri (D-OH) to a science and technology research bill that doubled – to $100 million – funding for a loan guarantee program for small manufacturers seeking to improve their competitiveness through technological innovation. (The original underlying bill had authorized $50 million to be spent on this program.)

Boccieri urged support for his amendment: “This amendment is an investment in our Nation's manufacturing base, the backbone of our economic recovery that will give additional funding for loans to embrace advances in technology, innovation and retool and rebuild so that we can compete on a global scale.”

Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX) argued doubling funding for the program was excessive: “This amendment would double to $100 million annually the authorization levels of the new never-done-before loan guarantee program created in the bill. I have major concerns with this program as it stands…Doubling the amount and doubling this spending on an unnecessary and redundant program is not good policy.”

The House agreed to Boccieri’s amendment by a vote of 248-171. 246 Democrats and 2 Republicans voted “yea.” 168 Republicans and 3 Democrats voted “nay.” As a result, the House agreed to an amendment (to legislation authorizing funding for scientific and technological research) doubling – to $100 million – funding for a loan guarantee program for small manufacturers seeking to improve their competitiveness through technological innovation. Democratic leaders, however, could bring the bill up again under suspension of the rules – a process that prohibits Republicans from offering a motion to recommit but would also require a two-thirds majority vote for passage. Alternatively, Democrats could bring the measure up again under a process requiring only a simple majority vote for passage. The latter option, however, would enable Republicans to offer another motion to recommit that could potentially undermine or kill the bill.