It looks like being anti-tax, anti-gay, anti-environment, and anti-abortion, Congressman Tim Walberg has found his new niche in Congress: anti-affirmative action.

Not to debate the merits of affirmative action programs (that's a controversial issue I'm not gonna touch on this blog), but it's interesting to see that Walberg's picked this as his issue to champion. And really, that's fine. Everyone needs a hobby. But it's sort of odd to see how he's decided to pursue his cause.

First was his very confusing amendment to the Department of Transportation bill, which read:

None of the funds made available in this Act may be used by the Department of Transportation to promulgate regulations based on race, ethnicity, or sex.

That amendment, by the way, passed on a voice vote because, basically, no one could figure out what it would actually do.

After his apparent success with one amendment, Congressman Walberg tried again on the Defense Department appropriations bill with this amendment:

An amendment numbered 6 printed in the Congressional Record to prohibit the use of funds to be used to award a grant or contract based on the race, ethnicity, or sex of the grant applicant or prospective contractor.

As with the previous amendment, I'm not quite sure whether this would actually have much of an impact. However, the amendment failed, 126 to 284.

We'll see if Walberg tries again on the next bill.

Labels: 110th Congress, Affirmative Action, Issues, Tim Walberg, Walberg Voting Record