Democrat Bean votes against spending plan

U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean was one of 20 Democrats to vote against this fiscal year's federal appropriations plan Wednesday, putting the Barrington resident on the side of Republicans in the suburbs.

The $410 billion spending package, which included funding for most of the federal government's departments, was the latest highly-charged vote in the U.S. House following the $787 billion stimulus package that drew not one GOP supporter.

The spending package was a holdover from the Bush Administration with the Democratic-led Congress pushing off this year's fiscal spending plan into the new administration.

Bean spokesman Jonathan Lipman said the congresswoman voted against the package because it didn't represent "fiscal responsibility" given an 8 percent increase over the previous year's spending.

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, a Geneva Democrat, supported the measure.

Republican U.S. representatives Peter Roskam of Wheaton, Don Manzullo of the Rockford area, Judy Biggert of Hinsdale and Mark Kirk of Highland Park all voted against the spending plan.