242 members of the House of Representatives don't give a damn if your food is uncontaminated, your water is clean, or your children are safe. Don’t believe me? Then you should have been watching C-SPAN last week.

On Friday, the House debated and approved H. Res 72, requiring House committees to review regulations for their economic impacts. The resolution, which is fairly innocent on its face but could prove to be another weapon in the House leadership’s arsenal for attacking public protections, passed handily, 391-28.

But an amendment saying that congressional committees “shall place a high priority on preserving the standards that ensure the safety of the Nation's food supply, safe drinking water, and the safety of children's toys” failed. In fact, the “motion to recommit” failed by a significant margin: 178-242, with 239 Republicans and 3 Democrats voting against, and zero Republicans voting for.

The aim of the amendment, introduced by Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-MO) was to add one measly public health and safety sentence to the solely economic criteria contained in the resolution. The amendment recognizes that some Americans, however few, prioritize health and safety above “access to credit and capital” or “labor-management relations” – criteria that made it into the resolution.

The amendment would have come at no cost. It wouldn’t have imposed any requirements on business. It wouldn’t have taken away anyone’s freedoms. It wouldn’t even have killed any jobs. It should have been a no-brainer – an easy way for lawmakers to say they’re for something, akin to honoring sports teams or naming post offices.

But so callous are these 242 about the health and safety of Americans – including children – that they voted no. So the next time one of these 242 says they’re not against protecting the public, they just want to get rid of unnecessary or burdensome regulation, don’t be fooled. They just don't give a damn.