House Votes To End Federal Funding For ACORN

WASHINGTON — The House voted Thursday to deny all federal funds for ACORN in a GOP-led strike against the scandal-tainted community organizing group that comes just three days after the Senate took similar action.

"ACORN has violated serious federal laws, and today the House voted to ensure that taxpayer dollars would no longer be used to fund this corrupt organization," said second-ranking House Republican Eric Cantor of Virginia.

The vote, on a provision attached to a student aid bill, was 345-75, with Democrats supplying all the "no" votes.

On Monday the Senate voted 83-7 to deny housing and community grant funding to ACORN, which stands for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.

Republicans accelerated their attacks on the liberal-leaning group a year ago when ACORN, in conducting a massive voter registration drive, was accused of submitting some false registration forms.

On a hidden-camera video released on Monday, two ACORN employees are seen apparently advising a couple that was posing as a prostitute and her pimp to lie about her profession and launder her earnings. The video was the latest in a series that has led to the firing of five ACORN employees in Baltimore, Washington and San Diego. It was created by James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles and posted on BigGovernment.com, where O'Keefe identifies himself as an activist filmmaker.

ACORN spokesman Scott Levenson blasted the video shot at the organization's Brooklyn office, saying the group believes the voices of the couple were dubbed over to alter the conversation and make the interaction appear more objectionable than it may have been.

ACORN said Wednesday that it is ordering its own independent investigation of the incidents, while stressing that they were isolated cases.

The Census Bureau, meanwhile, also has severed its ties with the group for the 2010 national census.

Republicans have urged federal officials to go further by launching a comprehensive investigation of how ACORN spends and manages federal money.

"As long as taxpayers are subsidizing ACORN and its affiliates, we need to use every measure possible to ensure that those dollars are being spent and managed appropriately," said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., sponsor of the measure that passed the House.

The Senate and House initiatives to cut funding for ACORN won't take effect until the bills to which they are attached clear Congress and are signed by President Barack Obama. The Senate measure is attached to a fiscal 2010 spending bill.

"President Obama needs to indicate whether he'll sign this bill and join us in ending all taxpayer funds for this corrupt organization," House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio said after the vote.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs on Wednesday said the conduct seen on the tapes "is completely unacceptable." He said the Obama administration "takes accountability extremely seriously" and noted that the Census Bureau had determined that ACORN could not meet its goal for conducting a fair and accurate count next year.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in a conference call with reporters, called the latest allegations against ACORN "horrible." However, she pointed out that ACORN has many honest employees and was conducting an internal investigation, and that it was up to House-Senate negotiators to determine whether the provision to cut funding would be in the final version of the bill.

Comments

[bigmee]

03:53 PM on 09/24/2009

Why are you pointing out that all agencies that have defrauded the tax payers and have been convicted and fined for federal offenses, like Halliburton, Black Water (I do not know their new name) and others should lose their contract as soon as ACRON loses theirs tax payer funding? The Democrats have played the Republicans and now can go after all contractors that have defrauded the tax payers.

[research]

12:31 AM on 09/23/2009

FOX "Kelly noted police in California say ACORN worker called them after encounter with filmmakers"
http://mediamatters.org/research/200909220026
Didn't I tell you they were playing along?

[celmak]

09:34 PM on 09/19/2009

All of you have nothing to fear, if you knew how Congress worked. The Senate and the House can both vote for defunding, it's an attachment to a bill; not a bill itself! Once the bill reaches Conference between them it can disappear. Once it disappears the bill cannot be amended, and the networks will never report it missing and the sheep will never think it gone. Once the bill is signed that the defunding was once attached to than ACORN will have officially gotten away with it, aand were talking away with billions!

[BettyTC]

05:10 PM on 09/18/2009

For those of us involved with community organizations, large and small, right and left, the actions of representatives in the House and Senate may have a "chilling effect" on our efforts.

Most progressive, liberal and union organizaitons and advocacy groups have partnered with ACORN on community efforts. I sense a FOX- sponsored Glenn Beck led McCarthy-like witch hunt brewing.

Are these organizations now required to distance themselves from ACORN? Will that be enough? Will my neighbors be required to denounce me in the town square?

I talk to my neighbors who work for 3M even though their company polluted my water. I'm nice to the guy at the soccer game whose company builds bombs and mines that kill innocent women and children.

Why is Congress still allowing payments to the myriad of contractors in Iraq who have robbed us blind, killed innocent Iraqi civilians and harmed our soldiers.

Because it's easier to put down someone you think is already beneath you.

[Hopeington]

12:53 AM on 09/19/2009

Betty, you just got yourself another fan.
You've got some damn good insight.

[ejhickey]

08:20 PM on 09/19/2009

Your suspicions and fears are not proof of a conspiracy. Congress hs voted to cut off funding to Acorn because among other things some of the employees were advising people on how to hide income and evade taxes. I suggest the IRS investigate Acorn just like they investigated UBS. Our tax system relies upon the voluntary compliance of the citizens. Advising and encouraging non compliance with the tax codes is a serious matter because if widespread will cause a breakdown in the entire tax system. there there will be no money for any government functions let along groups like Acorn. the actions of Congress in cutting off funding were fair and reasonable

[research]

05:03 PM on 09/18/2009

Believe the conservative smear machine without proof at peril to your connection to reality.

[TaxDayMan]

01:19 PM on 09/18/2009

Don't the terrorist in the Gaza strip feed the poor? Does that justify thier terrorism? Well, Libs! Nixon gave us the EEOC and Watergate! Does one cancel out the other? Even Al Capone feed the poor in Chicago! Jeez!

[bigmee]

04:02 PM on 09/24/2009

Why don't you feel that same about the contractor that constructed shower that have kill our troops? It seen that there is little or no outrage about these types of agencies, agencies that supply contaminated water and rotting food to our solders.

[Blimpius]

12:58 PM on 09/18/2009

Meanwhile not even a MENTION of ACORN on the home page of the HP today. An ongoing HUGE story that keeps unraveling more by the day. If this was a Republican scandal the HP servers would have smoke coming out of them. HP would rather have stories about Susan Sarandon's daughter.

[USCitizenforever]

01:08 PM on 09/18/2009

You hit the nail right on the head....perfect!!! :)

[lostagain]

01:22 PM on 09/18/2009

Uhhh, seems to me that I found the article on Acorn on the HP home page, just under the picture of George Washington. You can certainly critize the HP for a lot of things, but please keep your criticisms factually accurate. For example, one might fairly say the HP home page often looks like a supermarket tabloind instead of a serious news source. But that's just my observation when I see all the celebrity junk etc. there.

Acorn is a sad but newsworthy story. And it will stay in the press at least through this week's news cycle. Our problem with this kind of thing is that by the time next weeks's news cycle moves on, it will be too fast forgotten by too many people.

[TaxDayMan]

01:26 PM on 09/18/2009

No it will not because there are more tapes and BigGovernment.gov is waiting a week or so to release the next one! I will love to hear the liberal excuses then maybe a little R@CE C@RD playing as the liberals become more and more desparate as each tape comes out!

[USCitizenforever]

12:43 PM on 09/18/2009

Here it comes....the low roar of the Liberals telling everyone not to believe their own eyes. That's because these 2 journalists took this video to FOX news, and now the Liberals are telling everyone out there NOT to believe what they are viewing with their own 2 eyes.

Sorry Liberals, it won't work this time. People are wising up to your manipulating ways. All the name calling from the left directed towards the right has been debunked. The Conservatives have now learned how to use liberal tactics against the Liberals themselves, and I am loving it!!!

[notAMoron]

12:55 PM on 09/18/2009

These are not the droids you are looking for...

[lostagain]

01:09 PM on 09/18/2009

The kind of thing Acorn's employees did, is not a liberal-conservative, right - left issue. It is a phenomena that occurs in all groups. Unless they vigorously police themselves and establish very strong ethincal principles, they are going to do it. It doesn't matter if it is Mothers for Apple Pie and Americanism, Fathers Against Drunk Driving, the Laissez-faire Economic Council, the United Socialist Alliance, or the Holy Church of Eternal Life, they have to police themselves. And until they do, both the right and left will have the fodder they need to keep screaming at their opposition.

[Scott1560]

01:22 PM on 09/18/2009

I'll agree that this sort of conduct is not born out of political affiliations, but it is shielded by party politics. Doubtful that either Radke honeslty cared about party over cash & power.

However, I disagree strongly that this sort of thing happens in all groups/organizations and would suggest you offer some sort of evidence or proof to your unweighed opinion, that is, if it is to have any credibility.

[Blimpius]

01:49 PM on 09/18/2009

If this was a Republican scandal the HP and the MSM would be headlining it every day and breaking in with regular updates. The HP servers would be melting down.

[arnold78]

12:26 PM on 09/18/2009

One thing that bothers me about this is this line:

"The vote, on a provision attached to a student aid bill . . . "

For a while now, it has bothered me that a piece of legislation that has no relevence to the main bill can get tacked on as an amendment. If memory serves me correct, the 'cash for clunkers' program was an amendment to a bill for funding for the war. How can we hold Congressmen and women accountable if we're not sure why they are voting "yea" or "nea" to a bill. Is someone voting "no" to the war funding or "no" to the "cash for clunkers"?

[notAMoron]

12:39 PM on 09/18/2009

I agree, they should make it easier to pass more discrete and focused laws.

I think half of the time they attach these amendments to unrelated bills just so that it will be on a must-pass bill and half the times i think it is just because there is so much overhead in the legislative process that a discrete bill with a very narrow and specific focus would never make it to the floor for a vote.

In the end someone ends up voting no on a bill called "Support our Troops Bill" not because they don't support our troops but because there are some awful completely unrelated amendments attached to it. Then they get skewered (sp?) for not supporting our troops in a negative campaign advertisement.

[USCitizenforever]

12:49 PM on 09/18/2009

This is politics 101. If you can NOT trust a person with YOUR money, do NOT vote for him/her. Because basically, when the person gets to Washington, DC he/she has her hand in your back pocket/purse.

Politicians have gotten away with things like this for years. People shrug it off and say "Well, that's what politicians do". I for one am sick and tired of thes "polticians" taking my money and using it for things I would never agree to. This is why I am a conservative. Plain and simple. Conservative politicians are more honest (with money, at least) than liberals. Period.

[jamaicalover]

11:08 AM on 09/21/2009

With that logic we would never vote.

[Grannyover70]

12:22 PM on 09/18/2009

Are you all telling me that a business with 700 employees across the country has never
had corrupt employees at times.

Why are you all believing Karl Rove and Fox News? Some of your comments tell me you believe them. You surely know better than to trust them. Look how corrupt they are and they are still operating.

[Thirdparty123]

12:55 PM on 09/18/2009

Many if not most companies have corrupt employees, but in this instance you are talking about 5 different offices that condoned if not encouraged what they thought was the sexual exploitation of children. ACORN also has had 70 individuals convicted of voter registration fraud with another 11 recent arrest warrants, and criminal investigations in at least 12 states. This is more than a couple corrupt employees cooking the books, this is a corrupt organization.

[USCitizenforever]

01:05 PM on 09/18/2009

Grannyover70, I am assuming that your moniker is a description of yourself, and for that reason and that reason ONLY am I going to be respectful when I say this: I am NOT believing Karl Rove or Fox News on this. I am believing my own EYES. I have seen ther video.

[Grannyover70]

12:18 PM on 09/18/2009

I can't believe Democrats went along with this Republican rant without first doing their own investigation.

We all know that Karl Rove has been after Acorn and there are E-Mail to prove it. I say that Republican Dirty tricks have more of a dishonorable track record than Acorn. They have tried and tried to prove Voter Registration Fraud and have proved nothing, except two Republican Groups have been convicted. Remember Judge Eglasius was fired for not finding any wrongdoing by Acorn. Also, from my understanding Acorn has never been involved with the Census. This is another Red Herring.

It sounds as though some employees were fraudulent and were fired and an investigation is O.K., however, I think this video guy needs to prove his video has not been altered and he must come up with the videos of the offices he was kicked out of and the police records should be reviewed when the people had to call the police.

I am not a minority, but it has been clear for a long time that the Republicans are deathly afraid of the Acorn Group and its representation for minorities. In other words, yet again, Fox News is running the country. We all know that they always either totally lie or greatly manipulate the truth. I want the truth to come out and I don't want Democrats jumping to conclusions before hand.
Whatever happens, we must stand up for fairness and justice.

[MSNichols]

12:30 PM on 09/18/2009

Nicely posted.

Faved and fanned.

[USCitizenforever]

01:06 PM on 09/18/2009

What part of what your own eyes see do YOU not believe?

I am really interested in your answer....

[CitizenKane16]

04:32 PM on 09/18/2009

If you are not aware of technology such as photo shop, you really need to get out more.

[lostagain]

12:17 PM on 09/18/2009

Unfortunately, telling people to break the law is nothing new for far too many community help groups. I have seen the same thing happen in women's shelters, immigration legal assistance, etc. In fact, in a number of continuing legal education seminars I have seen, stated in ambiguous "code words" to avoid directly advocating an illegal act, suggestions that false claims of physical, mental, and sexual abuse be made to gain an advantage in some other disupte, such as a divorce, child custody hearing, immigration petition, etc. People are being told to raise false claims, which is committing a crime, by community groups, legal advisors, and, sadly, lawyers, who are all trying to take advantage of laws designed to potect true victims even when they know full well their particular client is making a false accusation so they can gain a tactical advantage.

We desperately need to have ethical community outreach and assistance programs. Unfortunately, groups like Acorn and others who advocate illegal activity cause even the ethical groups to lose credibility and support. All community groups need to impose strict ethical standards and to enforce them by periodic undercover testing.

Advocating the violation of law, including encouraging people to make false claims, only serves to diminish the credibility of the groups trying to help and their clients, by hand feeding their opponents very good reasons to shut them down. Acorn is a disgrace, but it is only the tip of the iceburg.

[ColoradoTaxpayer]

12:23 PM on 09/18/2009

FANNED & FAVED

[notAMoron]

12:23 PM on 09/18/2009

You only have to obey laws that you agree with, you didn't know that?

[MSNichols]

12:13 PM on 09/18/2009

It is unfortunate that a group with such good intentions has failed.

Acorn was started to empower the powerless but failed to manage it's staff resulting in a serious loss of support to those that needed the help they intended to provide.

I hope other non-profits can provide the legitimate services that ACORN provided. It is hard to see them recovering from this. They flucked the chicken.

[Blimpius]

12:18 PM on 09/18/2009

You have just summed up the entire problem with today's liberalism. Good intentions.....with no regard for the unintended consequences. As long as liberals "feel good" about themselves nothing else really matters. Wake up.

[MSNichols]

12:25 PM on 09/18/2009

Then allow me to sum up the entire problem with today's conservatism.

H@teful white people scared to de@th of losing their power and their ability to force their beliefs and values on everyone else through fear, intimidation and LYES (sic for moderators) by allowing their base of religious zealots to remain ill-informed and undereducated thus allowing the corporations to succeed.

[CelticMajic]

12:19 PM on 09/18/2009

Their stated intentions may have been good but lets take a peek at their founders--given their background one might draw the conclusion that the only reason they set up ACORN is to use it as a front to launder $$$ on the backs of those less fortunate...

[Scott1560]

12:31 PM on 09/18/2009

That is what it appears to be.

Pander to the under-educated and draw the support of a major political party. What can go wrong? Too many folks fell for it, hooker, line & sinker.

[CelticMajic]

12:13 PM on 09/18/2009

This is not the only trouble ACORN has had:
Voter Fraud NV, MO, FL, OH:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/05/us/05acorn.html www.kmbc.com/politics/10214492/detail.html

[k6007]

12:21 PM on 09/18/2009

---The indictment includes 13 counts each against Acorn and its former Las Vegas field director, Christopher Edwards, who is accused of creating an incentive program called “blackjack” because $5 was paid for signing more than 21 prospective voters.---

OMG!!

[USCitizenforever]

12:31 PM on 09/18/2009

Hmm...so this DOES weave it's way back to Obama....tsk, tsk~

[notAMoron]

12:33 PM on 09/18/2009

If the law clearly states that it is illegal to have a monetary transaction for a certain kind of service or activity then it doesn't matter how much money changes hands. Someone who is a field director of voter registration operations should know what the applicable laws are.

Consider the case of Roger Blackwell, PhD. He is the father of an entire field of marketing called consumer behavior. He is in jail for 19 counts of insider trading because he was loose lipped and let slip inside information about an acquisition that was coming up by a company which he served on the board of directors. He never made a cent off of any of the trades, but he is serving 6 years in prison for one slip up.

[Blimpius]

12:09 PM on 09/18/2009

I expect we'll soon be hearing Obama saying "ACORN WHO"? Just like with Rev. Wright.

[iisguy]

12:11 PM on 09/18/2009

Hard to belive that the economcy can be trashed by Wall Street, people loosining their houses and jobs while those responsible hand out billions, BILLIONS in bonuses to themselves, get bailed out by taxpayer dollars and are setting up to do it again - and ACORN is what really gets under the skin of the replublicants. Seriously, is this the best you can do? Is that all ya got?

[killpack]

12:22 PM on 09/18/2009

I hope everyone here reads what you just wrote. There is nowhere near enough outrage regarding the bailout scams. FoxNews (and everyone else for that matter) needs WAY more headlining stories regarding our failed economy and who's to blame. Instead of O'Reilly posting a list of the 7 Senators who wanted to keep funding ACORN, how about the 74 Senators who wanted to keep funding institutions FAR more corrupt like AIG, Citi, BofA, etc., etc. Thank you HuffPo for putting this story down at the bottom of the pile where it belongs. There are fish WAY bigger than these guys that need frying.

[USCitizenforever]

12:12 PM on 09/18/2009

I'll bet he throws ACORN "under the bus" just like he threw Rev. Wright under the bus....too funny!!