House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) criticized Democrats for attaching a hate crimes measure to the Defense Authorization bill, scheduled for a vote today on the House floor. Boehner is opposed not only to adding charges to a crime if the accused committed a violent act based on the victim's sexuality, but mostly the Democrats' use of a troop-funding measure to get it passed.

"This is just an abuse of the legislative process," Boehner said during his weekly press conference. "It's an abuse of power by Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid. And it's offensive, it's offensive to me and a lot of my colleagues. And that is why I will vote no and urge my colleagues to vote no."

Boehner will not be alone in voting against the bill, as Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Conference Chair Mike Pence (R-Ind.) have also stated that they will not support the bill. Cantor called it a "political ploy and symbolic of everything that is wrong with Washington."

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) also criticized the Democrats' legislative maneuver during a briefing with reporters yesterday, but he said he will likely vote for it when it hits the Senate floor.