This vote was on an amendment by John McCain, R-Ariz., that would delete $39.7 million for the Advanced Training Center in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.  The amendment was offered to the bill that funds the Homeland Security Department in fiscal 2010.

McCain, R-Ariz., said this earmark would go toward the center’s “Leadership Academy.”  McCain said he is taking aim at this member-sponsored project (also called an “earmark”) because in a time of budget deficits the money should be spent in other ways.

George Voinovich, R-Ohio, defended the earmark on behalf of Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., who at the time was hospitalized with a staph infection.

Voinovich said this training center specifically serves the needs of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection service, annually training about 3,200 of its employees.

“So this is a critical training facility for frontline employees. This is not a boondoggle. This is not a waste of money. This is something to support a facility that is there and needs to be expanded because we have decided we want to hire a lot more employees. When you hire employees, you have to provide them the training. And that is exactly what this is doing,” Voinovich said.

By a vote of 35-61, the amendment was rejected.  Of Republicans present, 32 voted for the amendment and seven voted against it.  All but three Democrats present voted against the amendment.  The end result is that the measure went forward with funding intact for the Customs Service’s Advanced Training Center in West Virginia.