The April 24 edition of The News-Gazette, which circulates in Rockbridge County, Lexington and Buena Vista, features an excellent editorial praising the US House of Representatives for overwhelmingly approving new military aid to Ukraine in its existential fight against murderous Russian aggression. This comes after months of unconscionable delay by House Speaker Mike Johnson, who clearly feared the wrath of Donald Trump.

The editors rightfully call out our Sixth District Republican congressman:

We note that our own Congressman Ben Cline voted in favor of aid to Israel, aid for Taiwan and other Asian nations, and to force the sale of TicToc, but voted against assistance to Ukraine. We think an explanation is in order. If Representative Cline had a problem with foreign aid as a matter of fiscal responsibility, it would follow that he would have voted against the other two aid bills, but he did not.

The week after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Representative Cline wrote in his Sixth District Perspectives newsletter, “We must continue to prod the Administration and the world community to stand strongly against this aggression. The Ukrainian people have shown tremendous resiliency and determination in their efforts to repel the invaders and defend their homeland. I am pleased that countries throughout Europe have condemned the actions of the Kremlin and are giving the Ukrainian resistance some of the tools needed to fight. As the situation unfolds, our thoughts and prayers are with the Ukrainian people.”

What’s changed from 26 months ago?

What, indeed?

Perhaps there’s a hint of the answer in this new post on Cline’s campaign Facebook page:

Congressman Cline on Saturday continued his shameful record of voting to betray the Ukrainian people in their fight aaginst Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s brutal aggression.

Cline joined 111 other House Republicans to vote NO on a $60.8 billion bill to aid Ukraine. With all Democrats voting YES, the measure passed by 311-112 and goes to the Senate for final approval.

But disgraceful as it was, it wasn’t contemptible enough for Cline. He gave Ukraine another kick in the teeth by voting YES on a failed amendment by his loony colleague Marjorie Taylor Greene to reduce the dollar amount in the legislation to zero.

A little more than two years ago, Cline bragged about being sanctioned by Russia (along with almost every other member of the House). He used that fact to raise money for his reelection campaign.

What changed, Congressman?

Congressman Cline regularly makes a fool of himself at House committee hearings with his partisan questions designed to score political points rather than elicit information.

Such was the case when Cline interrogated Attorney General Merrick Garland and tried to make an issue of President Biden’s alleged mental impairment.

Cline: Have you ever seen evidence of impairment in your meetings with the president?

Garland: I’m sorry. I’ve testified and I’ll repeat again what I just said.

Cline: Well, that’s different than my question.

Garland: Well, I have seen the president effectively guide the members of the Department, of his cabinet and his military through…

Cline: But you won’t say you’ve ever seen any impairment on his part?

Garland: The president has no impairment. The president…

Cline: You’ve never seen any.

Garland: I don’t know how many ways I can say this. I have complete confidence in the president and I reject your characterization.

What makes this darkly amusing is that while Cline seeks to raise concerns about Biden’s mental fitness, he enthusiastically endorsed Donald Trump– whose cognitive decline is plain for everyone to see almost every time he appears in public– for another four years as president.

According to his latest filing with the Federal Election Commission, Congressman Cline’s reelection campaign has received contributions from the following donors since March 12:

• Amalgamated Sugar Company Political Action Committee (Idaho): $2,000

• Western Sugar Cooperative PAC (Colorado): $1,000

• Minn-Dak Farmers Sugar Cooperative PAC (North Dakota): $2,500

• American Crystal Sugar Company Political Action Committee (Minnesota): $5,000

• Florida Sugar Cane League PAC (District of Columbia): $1,000

• Michigan Sugar Company Growers Political Action Committee (Michigan): $1,000

• American Sugar Cane League of USA Political Action Committee (Louisiana): $2,000

Is it possible that all this sugar-connected generosity is related to Cline’s membership on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies? And his membership on the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust? And the fact that the US government subsidizes the American sugar industry by creating artificially high prices?

At any rate, given Big Sugar’s sudden infatuation with Cline, I would like to suggest the congressman adopt this tune as his 2024 campaign theme song:

That’s how Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi described the actions of 40 House Republicans– including Congressman Cline– who voted NO on a $460 billion government funding package that included earmarks they inserted to fund projects in their districts.

In Cline’s case, it was $42 million to fund improvements in the I-81 corridor.

In January Cline told The Washington Post: “I have been trying to take authority away from the massive federal bureaucracy and restore it to the actual representatives of the people here in Congress. The bureaucrats in the Education Department, the Transportation Department, the Commerce Department know less about the priorities of the working men and women of the 6th District of Virginia than their elected representatives.”

As long as he isn’t the one voting to pay for those priorities, I guess.

The I-81 improvements are needed, of course. But don’t thank Cline for them. And don’t let him take credit for them either.

Despite my criticism of Congressman Cline, I appreciated his willingness to hold regular in-person town hall meetings with constituents throughout the Sixth District. These meetings have given his opponents as well as his supporters a chance to voice their opinions face to face without the insulation provided by his staff.

This marked a welcome contrast with Cline’s predecessor Bob Goodlatte, who stopped holding in-person town halls some years before he retired from Congress.

When Cline started holding town halls in 2019, he scheduled them in American Legion and VFW halls, community centers and other reasonably spacious locations. He announced the events on his Facebook page at least four or five days in advance and simply required people to get free tickets online. Although the times weren’t always convenient, there was room for anyone who was able to attend.

After a pause in town halls due to the COVID pandemic, Cline– with no explanation– changed the format. He rebranded the town halls as “Coffee with Your Congressman” and held them mostly at restaurants. And the advance notice for these events has got progressively shorter.

Most recently, on April 4 Cline held “Coffees” at restaurants in Warren and Shenandoah Counties. They were announced on his Facebook page just one day in advance— making it difficult or impossible for many people to attend.

But that’s not the worst of it. One commenter on the Facebook page complained that she wanted to attend the Warren County event but couldn’t because tickets disappeared almost immediately.

According to one constituent who did attend:

What’s going on? Why the ridiculously short notice and the limited seating?

I hope this is nothing more than a case of bad management.

As usual, ridiculously short notice, but…

For folks in Shenandoah County, here’s your chance to ask Congressman Cline the questions you’ve been wanting to ask him– face to face.

Location: Strasburg Diner,119 Hite Lane, Strasburg, VA 22657.

I firmly support law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line to keep us safe. As a former prosecutor, I’ve seen firsthand the immense good these men and women provide for our families and communities. By opposing the foolish and reckless proposals to defund the police, we can ensure there will always be law enforcement who are ready and willing to run towards the sounds of danger.

Ben Cline’s campaign website

Never mind. Now it’s Cline and his fellow House Republicans who want to defund the police.

The Republican Study Committee budget which Cline is holding in the above photo would slash funding for law enforcement and community safety through the Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program.

According to the RSC budget:

COPS was created in the 1990s as a means to support state and local law enforcement agencies with expenses like salaries, court programs, and juvenile justice programs. Conservatives support our men and women and blue but should question whether the government should involve itself in state and local law enforcement, even if it is only a matter of funding.

The RSC complains about COPS funding going to big cities which cut law enforcement budgets in 2020 in favor of other programs designed to reduce crime. But if reduced spending was wrong then, why is it okay now?

One part of COPS awards grants to local law enforcement to hire officers. In 2023 the hiring program funded 1,730 new positions— the vast majority in rural areas and small towns across the country.

Instead of trying to cut this and other programs designed to aid law enforcement, perhaps Cline should help police departments and sheriffs’ offices in the Sixth District apply for these grants.