Why Don't These Republicans Want Funding for Museum of Polish Jewry?

These 13 Republicans voted against funding for a museum of Polish Jewry to be built in Warsaw:

Rep. Paul Broun (GA)
Rep. John Campbell (CA)
Rep. Mike Conaway (TX)
Rep. John Culberson (TX)
Rep. Geoff Davis (KY)
Rep. John Duncan (TN)
Rep. Jeff Flake (AZ)
Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ)
Rep. Ralph Hall (TX)
Rep. Jeb Hensarling (TX)
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (CA)
Rep. John Shadegg (AZ)
Rep. Zach Wamp (TN)

The legislation presented to the House of Representatives authorizes $5 million for the development of the permanent collection of one thousand years of Polish Jewish history.

The bill passed the House with a vote of 407-13. All 13 nays came from Republican legislators. Why they would use a completely nonpartisan subject such as this as a political wedge issue is beyond me. And if not as a political game, what other absurd reason could anyone possibly have to refuse funding for the preservation of Europe's largest Jewish community until the Holocaust?!

Germany has pledged over $7 million of funding for the museum that will be built on the former site of the Warsaw Ghetto. Completion is expected by 2010.

Comments

[Chris]

'scuse me, but why should the US fund a holocaust museum in Poland ? Why not a Rwanda massacre museum, or an Armenian Genocide museum in Ankara, or a Maori culture museum in Wellington ? Or indeed a penguin museum in Ushuaia. Wake up and get your eyeballs out of your navel.

[Jon]

This is ridiculous. What is the role of government? Do you believe that the role of government is to tax its citizens to build museums in other countries? I fully support the building of the museum, but the funds should not come from the government; they should come from me and others that want the museum built.

[Richard Grayson]

I'm Jeff Flake's only Democratic opponent in 2008 (he didn't have any Democratic opposition in 2006 and 2004). I would have voted for funding the Museum of Polish Jewry.

Rep. Flake has nothing against Polish Jewry. He is simply a bisl meshugener when it comes to spending money on museums.