House defeats amendment to add deeper cuts to budget

An amendment to cut another $22 billion from the Republican's FY 2011 spending bill was defeated, 147-281, Friday afternoon as several Republicans joined Democrats in opposition.

Eight other amendments, including several to defund Democrats' healthcare law, were also tacked on to the House GOP spending bill in the same series of votes. Just five amendments failed.

Amendments agreed to would:

• end taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood;

• prevent the Department of Education from implementing "gainful employment" regulations on for-profit schools;

• prevent funds from being used to invalidate permits issued for outer continental shelf oil-and-gas resources;

• defund the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulation of pollution from stationary sources;

• cut salaries necessary to carry out Democrats’ healthcare law;

• prevent funds from being used to implement part of the healthcare law that requires the IRS to verify that people have healthcare coverage and impose penalties against those who do not comply;

• completely defund the healthcare law; and

• cut funding for agencies that are necessary for the implementation of the healthcare law.

Failed amendments would have:

• killed $150 million a year in cotton-related payments to Brazil;

• ended two weapons programs, the expeditionary fighting vehicle and air-to-air missile systems;

• ended the Department of Defense's sponsorship of NASCAR teams; and

• limited spending on the Afghanistan war to $10 billion.