Senate strips more funding for ACORN

September 29th, 2009
By Dena Bunis
Orange County Register
Washington Bureau Chief

The Senate voted today, by a voice vote, to prevent the embattled community organizing group ACORN from getting any federal money under the Defense spending bill.

It’s not clear whether the non-profit group would actually get any money from the defense budget. But Nebraska Republican Sen.Mike Johanns is determined to bar any federal funding to the group and is attaching such an amendment to every spending bill he can.

Johanns’ s effort is the latest in a series of measures lawmakers have been taking to cut off federal funds to the agency since some of its employees were taped helping two people posing as a prostitute and pimp.

The House has already passed a sweeping ban on ACORN getting any more federal funds. The Senate is considering something similar.

ACORN has been trying to counter the negative publicity and comments being made against the group.

Today it released a statement by its advisory committee supporting the hiring of former Massachusetts Attorney General Scott Harshbarger do to an independent review of the organization.

The advisory committee includes former Clinton Chief of Staff John Podesta, former Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and Andrew Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union among others.

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