House Votes to Defund ACORN

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-ranked 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.

"The votes were on different bills, so it could be a while before such a cut-off gets a final vote" to get through Congress, notes CBS News Correspondent Bob Fuss. President Obama would then need to sign the bill for it to become law.

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 already led to the firing of four ACORN employees in Baltimore and Washington. 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.

[hologram5]

by salmoc44 September 17, 2009 4:55 PM EDT
"You do know Obama is using Blackwater and Halliburton in Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan right? All they did is change their names."

Yes I do. And, it's an outrage way bigger than anything concerning ACORN.
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Most of this garbage is nothing more than a DISTRACTION from the REAL issues. Such as audit of the fed reserve, the health care reform, the war crime investigation, all that. Kind of funny huh? WE need to quit fighting amongst eachother and fight the common enemy. It is the ones trying to control EVERY aspect of our private lives.

[jimmyc1955]

How does a small organiztion get $54 million in funding and remain small? I don't think your being honest here.

[wmsshields]

Now I hope to see an examination of the president's acitivies within ACORN over the years, just to see how, why, and to what extent he influenced their policies. Should be very revealing. But I do not think any of the MSM have the balzz to do this.

[credibility2]

Acorn is a joke. Obama worked closely with them when he was in the hood in Chicago. Acorn has always been this way, nothing new. Obama knew how they operated and supported their criminality, since he felt whatever means it would take for the downtrodden to get the upper hand of the man was a very good thing.

[coolafella]

ACORN claims on its website to be "working together for social justice and stronger communities". How? By instructing and assisting unemployed people to illegally obtain home loans that they clearly have no ability to make mortgage payments on, eventually leading to the collapse of our banking system; by instructing and assisting criminals in child molestation, abuse and slavery to be carried out in our communities.... and most importantly of all, by registering dead people and having them vote in the primaries, by turning in completed caucus sheets before the polls even closed and the caucuses even opened. Thank you Acorn for taking down our country. Maybe socialism isn't all its cracked up to be.

[factsplease1]

This is all a set up to take away from the important health insurance issues. The news stories forgot to mention that this "news team" went to 10 other Acorn offices and literally got "thrown out"before they found this one to co-operate with them. Such petty crap compared to Blackwater, Haliburton. Only in America!!!

[Stevenapoli7]

So CBS finally reports on the story. It took an act of congress to get them to do it.

[falconheights]

This is an insignificant amendment that was attached to a student aid bill. ACORN does not currently receive any federal grants, and it does not apply for federal grants. The amendment is empty political posturing that changes nothing.

In contrast, the student aid bill to which it is attached is extremely important. It increases direct federal lending for students and eliminates subsidies for private lenders. It is also a historic investment in community colleges.

Why is CBS indulging in this ACORN nonsense instead of focusing on what really matters?

[chefjas1960]

Falcon,
Nonsense? I guess you have the dough to hand out to groups like Acorn, I don't. I'll keep mine and you can double yours, k?

[stryker54]

when will everyone stop bickering about party affiliation? ever hear 2 wrongs don't make it right? we need to start eliminating corruption sometime, now is as good as any. many wrongs have been done over the history of our nation. when will we learn from our mistakes and move forward without making them again, or do nothing because the other party got away with something else, you know *** for tat. another 100 years and everything will be the same, just a higher number of misdeeds.

[anotherpatriot]

Dems and Repubs -- this is a good thing. I know this is mostly a dem organziation and many have said that the repubs should look at the stake in their own eye... but come on - this is TAXPAYERS MONEY!! Yours and mine -- there are, last I heard - 5 videos from different states/offices showing really horrible, criminal advice. There's something wrong with the culture of that organization if there are that many offices giving similar bad/illegal advice!! Imagine if the organization had been H&R block - they would be done.. and that's not even a taxpayer funded organization!! Let's hold higher standards. And if their are organizations that support Repubs that show similar corruption.. let's go after them TOO -- not instead of.