This was a vote on an amendment by Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA) amendment to transportation, housing, and urban affairs legislation that would have cut $1.8 billion from programs operated by the departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development.

Latham urged support for his amendment: “We're going to have a $1.47 trillion deficit this year. Forty-three cents on every dollar that we're spending is borrowed money, and our kids, our grandchildren are going to have to pay for it--or our great-great-grandchildren, the way we're going--and it simply is not sustainable…. And if we can't do it here on this very small amendment on this huge bill, we're never going to save our fiscal future for our kids and our grandchildren.”

Rep. John Olver (D-MA) urged members to oppose the amendment: “This amendment would result in cuts to a number of programs that are critical to creating jobs, increasing transportation safety, and restoring support to programs serving vulnerable Americans across the country.…This funding [which Latham sought to cut] would have a positive impact on the economy, create thousands of jobs, and occur over a several-year period, thereby serving as a slow release remedy to keep the recovery going as it ought to do.”

The House rejected Latham’s amendment by a vote of 197-225. 167 Republicans and 30 Democrats voted “yea.” 224 Democrats – including a majority of progressives – and 1 Republican voted “nay.” As a result, the House rejected an amendment to transportation, housing, and urban affairs legislation that would have cut $1.8 billion from programs operated by the departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development.