GOP: Dems Supported Riders in the Past

Democrats have complained loudly about Republican efforts to attach riders to the latest budget bill, such as one to eliminate federal funding for Planned Parenthood. But Republicans point out that Democrats have proposed plenty of riders of their own in the past, Politico reports.

In 2009, a budget bill similar to the one being debated now was piled high with Democratic riders. One made birth control devices less expensive for clinics that provide them to college students and poor women. Another repealed a school-voucher program in Washington, D.C. supported by current House Speaker John Boehner.

“Policy restrictions are a routine part of spending bills,” said Michael Steel, a spokesman for Boehner. “Senate Democratic Leaders – and President Obama – have supported hundreds, if not thousands of them.”