Freshman Rep. Bruce Poliquin of Maine is coming under fire for voting against a measure that would've barred federal contractors from discriminating against gay employees.

U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin, R-2nd Maine
Daryn Slover/Sun Journal
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Poliquin and six other Republicans switched their votes Thursday, causing the measure to fail 213-212.

The amendment, sponsored by Democratic Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, would have prohibited the use of taxpayer dollars to violate President Barack Obama's executive order barring discrimination.

Democrat Emily Cain, who hopes to unseat him, called the vote "politics at its absolute worst."

Poliquin said he was outraged that political opponents claimed he cast a vote due to party pressure and added, "No one controls my vote."

Democrats were quick to publicize the names of the GOP vote-switchers: Polquin, four from California, one from Oregon and another from Iowa.

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