Where in the World Are Congressmen Leonard Boswell and Edolphus Towns?

The heatedly-debated House of Representatives social services budget for fiscal year 2006 finally passed on Friday night by a vote of 217-215. Democrats were joined by 14 moderate Republicans in voting against this budget, which includes draconian cuts to Medicaid, food stamps, foster children programs, child support enforcement and especially, $14 billion in cuts to Pell financial aid grants for college students.

Republican House leadership was more than a month late in passing a budget package, and last week, suffered an embarrassing defeat when their plan was voted down. After backing off elimination of school lunches for 40,000 children and reducing food stamp cuts for the hungry, the Republican social services budget passed with 217 Republican votes.

Only two House members failed to vote.....Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-NY), a powerful 12-term Congressman and member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA), a decorated 20-year Army veteran and House member since 1996.

If Towns and Boswell had voted with the 201 other House Democrats, this appallingly immoral bill would have failed to pass. So of course, I pose the question.....where in the world were Edolphus Towns and Leonard Boswell that they couldn't find the time to cast crucial votes on behalf of their constituents?
----------
Blogger Arenwin at top liberal blog MyDD asks the same pointed question, "Does anyone know anything about Congressmen Towns (Edolphus Towns, NY-10, I believe) and Boswell (Leonard Boswell, I believe, IA-3) - both Democrats - that would explain why they didn't vote in the $50b budget bill last night?

I find this extremely disappointing, and hope there is a good reason. The Republicans only had 217 votes. Had Towns and Boswell voted against the bill, it would have been 217-217, meaning a defeat. This is one of those times when every Democrat should have been expected to be present on the floor. Every Republican was. This should have been an absolute top priority. "
----------
In a post entitled "House Votes to Starve the Poor," blogger Stories in America observes that "Congressmen Leonard Boswell of Iowa and Edolphus Towns of New York, both Democrats, failed to vote," and then angrily notes that "On the same day the Republican-controlled House voted to cut essential programs for the most vulnerable, they gave themselves a $3,100 pay raise."
----------
Blogger Iowa Ennui is frustrated that her representative didn't vote on this bill, so she did research, and discovered that Boswell had abdominal surgery a few months ago.

She writes, " Midwest (magazine) did a little digging and discovered that Boswell hasn't been back in action since the surgery. To quiet talk of being too ill to fill the seat, Boswell came home to show some public muscle. Everyone assumes, from the JJ dinner appearance, that Boswell's back in the game and ready to go back to work. Apparently, that's not the case.....

I don't get it. Boswell comes back to Iowa, does a couple parades, makes an 'I'm all in' speech at the Jefferson-Jackson dinner and then he goes back to Washington to rest & recuperate. Seems he's not in the office and that means he's not voting....

Looking over the House Clerk roll call votes, post the November 5th JJ dinner, he's missed all 38 votes, including 3 appropriations bills and the Deficit Reduction Act roll call. I'm all for the Family and Medical Leave Act, but how long before medical leave starts to look like health related retirement?

I think this calls for a weekly Boswell watch post; we'll check out the roll call votes and other information to see if we can figure out where in the world is Rep Leonard Boswell (my apology to Carmen San Diego)."
----------
OK, at least we know Rep. Boswell's excuse, and of Iowa Ennui's plans to monitor and hold the Congressman responsible for his letting the American people down by missing crucial votes.

But what's your excuse, Rep. Towns???

If Reps. Town and Boswell can't see fit to stand up and be counted on to do their jobs, perhaps Democrats should run new candidates for their seats in 2006......Democrats available to cast vital votes, and to stand with the rest of the House Democrats for all Americans.

The House will return in December to vote on the Republicans' cherished goal of granting $70 billion in new tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires. We will be watching to see if Reps. Towns and Boswell, and all House Democrats, vote against this incomprehensibly greedy legislation.
--------------------------------
Related Articles
-- Democrats Decry Immorality of House Budget
-- Medicaid Made Simple - Health Care for 50 Million Americans
-- Pell Grants Defined - Financial Aid for Needy College Students
------------------------------
Technorati Profile