The House floor featured something on Wednesday that we have not seen much of in recent years, amendments to a bill by the minority party, amendments which were actually approved in a bipartisan vote.
"It's amazing to see some of the Democratic amendments win, some of them lose; some of the Republican amendments lose, some of them win," said Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), who helped back a plan that cut an extra engine for the Joint Strike Fighter.
And Westmoreland was right - the GOP didn't win every vote.
Unlike recent times in the House under both parties, the process wasn't all for show - as some proposed GOP budget cuts were rebuffed by a coalition of Democrats and Republicans.
For example, $280 million was added back to the COPS program, a popular program of local police grants. The money for that was shifted out of NASA.
Also, $510 million was put back into homeland defense grants for firefighters and other first responders, a very, very, very popular grant program in both parties. That vote was a lopsided 318-113.
The money to pay for those grants was shifted over from a Homeland Security Department Research & Development program, as the rules for debate required that all amendments be paid for with offsetting cuts.
When the marble columns of the Capitol did not fall over at the end of the day, it was a reminder that having an open process on the floor of the House probably isn't a bad thing for the Congress.
But the votes adding money back to the police and fire were also a reminder that lawmakers love bringing home the bacon, even as they complain about the budget deficit and the need to cut spending.
Members of both parties love to churn out news releases about how a local fire department or police department will be getting extra money from Uncle Sam. Those funds aren't getting slashed anytime soon.
Just as Republicans crossed over to vote with Democrats to restore those grant cuts, they also helped Democrats defeat a number of other budget cuts.
One GOP amendment to cut $35 million from the Bureau of Land Management lost on a 216-213 vote. A cut of $64 million from the EPA was defeated 230-199.
Things may be a little different when we get to the end of the bill on Thursday, because then a series of amendments will be in order that would bar the feds from spending money on everything from the Obama health law to such things as studies on the impact of yoga on hot flashes in menopausal women.
(That's Amendment 417 from Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) if you are scoring at home.)
Those amendments are now in order, as the House worked until 3:43 am, laying the groundwork for a final push by the GOP today on this budget bill.
The clerk will read.
The House floor featured something on Wednesday that we have not seen much of in recent years, amendments to a bill by the minority party, amendments which were actually approved in a bipartisan vote. "It's amazing to see some of the Democratic amendments win, some of them lose; some of ...
