House votes to cut off ACORN funding

The US House today joined the Senate in voting to defund ACORN, the community advocacy group beset by allegations of voter registration fraud and videotapes apparently showing employees advising conservative activists posing as a prostitute and pimp how to break the law.

The measure, offered as part of a motion on a student loan bill, passed by a vote of 345-75, with all "no" votes coming from Democrats.

The Senate voted earlier this week to withdraw housing and urban development funding. Last week, the Census Bureau severed ties with ACORN, which on Wednesday said it is suspending accepting new clients and launching an investigation.

But congressional Republicans are calling for all federal funds to be cut off and for a Justice Department investigation.

“Today’s overwhelming bipartisan vote to stop all federal funding of ACORN is a victory for American taxpayers. Of course, it is only the beginning. We need to keep up the fight to end taxpayer funding for this troubled organization," Boehner said in a statement.

“House Republicans have worked tirelessly to sever ACORN’s ties to the federal government. Those efforts began to bear fruit late last week when the Census Bureau ended its relationship with ACORN under steady pressure from Republican lawmakers. Though today’s vote indicates that the writing’s on the wall for ACORN, President Obama must indicate whether he will join the Congress in taking decisive action to break all government ties with this corrupt organization."

“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. All federal ties should be severed with ACORN, and the FBI should investigate its activity," Representative Eric Cantor, the No. 2 House Republican said in a statement. "This united Republican effort to defund ACORN is a victory for the rule of law and taxpayers across the country.”