Rep. Paul Broun voted against $33 billion in funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan Tuesday, but he says he still supports the troops. The bill contained additional funding for projects like the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Fund, and improvements to the Port of Guam.

“As a Marine, I understand the importance of ensuring our men and women in uniform have the resources necessary to successfully complete their mission,” Broun said in a news release. “In fact, I firmly believe that one of the primary responsibilities of the federal government is to ensure a strong national defense. However, I am disappointed that Congress waited until the last minute to pass this bill and used vital funding for our troops to pass over $25 billion of unrelated projects.”

Georgia’s Republican congressmen oppose hate crimes protection for gays more than they support the troops.

House Democratic leaders pulled the legislative equivalent of a play-action fake when they inserted a version of the Matthew Shepard Act – language that would strengthen penalties for physically attacking someone due to their sexual orientation – into a $680 billion defense bill.

The House overwhelmingly approved the bill today, and it now goes to the Senate, where it is also expected to pass. President Barack Obama is then expected to sign it.

The clever maneuver presented Republicans with a dilemma: Upset their base by voting against military funding or upset their base by voting for protections for gays. One hundred and thirty-one of them, including all seven from Georgia, chose the former.