Toomey ahead of his time

Pa2010/Talking Points Memo notes a terminology slipup that former Congressman/current Senate candidate Pat Toomey made on CNN:

Republican Pat Toomey made a statement this week on CNN’s “John King USA” that caught our ear: He claimed that he once led a filibuster… on the House floor. Of course, the filibuster is a product of only the Senate’s rules.

On the show, Toomey claimed:

“Now, when I was in the House, I—frankly I opposed my party very often. I opposed President Bush when he wanted to expand and create a new entitlement program. I opposed that. I personally led a filibuster on the House floor against my own party because I thought they were intending to bust the budget and spend too much money. The record is very clear.”

The Senate defines a filibuster as the “Informal term for any attempt to block or delay Senate action on a bill or other matter by debating it at length, by offering numerous procedural motions, or by any other delaying or obstructive actions.” The Senate historian notes that the House hasn’t allowed filibusters since “the early years of Congress.”

The fight Toomey was referring to was over $700 million in extra funding Congress wanted to add to a Bush administration/Interior Department appropriations bill.