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[h=1]Senate Quickly Kills Boehner Debt Bill[/h]
Jewel Samad/Agence France-Presse - Getty Images
Speaker John A. Boehner left the Capitol after voting in the House Chamber.
[h=6]By CARL HULSE, MICHAEL D. SHEAR and ROBERT PEAR[/h] [h=6]Published: July 29, 2011[/h]
WASHINGTON - House Republicans muscled through a revised debt limit plan without a single Democratic vote on Friday night and the Senate quickly killed it by tabling the bill indefinitely and moving to start consideration of a Democratic plan to avoid default.
The move now sets up an uncertain 72 hours as the Congress moves ever closer to the Tuesday deadline when the Treasury Department says the country will default on its financial obligations without an increase in the debt ceiling.
Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, said he intends to start the legislative clock ticking on Friday on a new plan to raise the debt ceiling, though it was also possible to allow time for negotiation.
The two votes came about 24 hours after the first Republican proposal backed by Speaker John A. Boehner stalled. On Friday, the House voted 218 to 210 in favor of a revised plan that would increase the federal debt ceiling in two stages, with the second installment of $1.6 trillion contingent on Congressional approval of a Constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget. The Constitutional amendment provision was added to attract conservatives who balked Thursday.
"To the American people, I would say we tried our level best," Mr. Boehner said as he concluded a debate that had been abruptly halted Thursday evening. "We tried to do our best for our country, but some people still say no."
Although 22 Republicans opposed the bill, it cleared the House after it had appeared for a time on Thursday night that the Republican leadership had been thwarted in its efforts to send a take-it-or-leave-it offer to the Senate.
After a caucus meeting to round up the votes needed for House passage, Mr. Boehner agreed to modify his plan, which raises the debt ceiling only enough to last a few months. Senate Democrats have taken up a measure of their own, which would raise the debt ceiling until after the election, and prepared for debate and possibly votes on it over the weekend.
The changes by Mr. Boehner won enough votes to allow him to pass his bill with only Republican votes, including those of many, but not all, from the Tea Party faction. Urging its passage, an emotional Mr. Boehner angrily accused President Obama and his Democratic allies of negotiating in bad faith for weeks and called the bill the only way to "end this crisis now."
"All they would do was criticize what I put out there," Mr. Boehner said, his voice rising during a rare appearance on the floor. "I stuck my neck out a mile to get an agreement with the president of the United States. I stuck my neck out a mile. I put revenues on the table."
He added: "A lot of people in this town can never say yes."
The vote brushed aside Mr. Obama's plea earlier in the day for quick passage of a compromise bill that could attract support from both parties.
Democrats said the changes the House approved only made the House bill more unpalatable. "This is the most outrageous suggestion I have heard," said Senator Richard J. Durbin, the assistant Democratic leader.
Mr. Obama said: "Any solution to avoid default must be bipartisan. I urge Democrats and Republicans in the Senate to find common ground on a plan that can get support from both parties in the House, a plan that I can sign by Tuesday."
He urged Republicans in the House and Senate to abandon a bill that "does not solve the problem" and has no chance of passage in the Senate.
"There are a lot of crises in the world that we can't always predict or avoid," he said. "This isn't one of those crises."
In an effort to break the logjam, Mr. Reid, the majority leader, had called on Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, to meet with him on Friday to try to resolve to the stalemate.
"My door is open," Mr. Reid said as the Senate convened. "I will listen to any idea to get this done in a way that prevents a default and a dangerous downgrade to America's credit rating. Time is short, and too much is at stake, to waste even one more minute.
"The last train is leaving the station," he said. "This is our last chance to avert default."
It appeared that the Senate would be in session around the clock this weekend.
The Democrats said they would file a motion on Friday that would start the Senate debate, running down the procedural clock while Republicans, presumably, filibustered against the Reid proposal. The first vote on breaking the filibuster would come after midnight Saturday. Unless the Democrats can win over enough Republicans to cut off debate and move to approving the Reid bill or some variant, the Republicans would be forced to hold the floor continuously, awaiting some kind of deal.
Mr. McConnell, who had been working with Mr. Reid on a fallback plan, abandoned that attempt and has been supporting the effort by Mr. Boehner to push through a proposal that would raise the debt limit in two stages - an approach flatly rejected by Senate Democrats and the White House even before it was toughened with the latest demand for a constitutional amendment.
Mr. McConnell, too, came to the Senate floor on Friday and offered little indication that he was ready to deal, accusing Democrats of devoting recent days to undermining the House plan. "Our Democratic friends in the Senate have offered no solutions to the crisis that can pass either chamber," he said.
Mr. Reid said he would be making changes to his measure to attract more support but made clear that he considered the Senate plan the final effort to avert a default next week.
"There will be no time left to vote on another bill or consider another option here in the Senate," he said. "None."
Mr. Reid said he had also had a "sobering" conversation on Friday with Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner about the consequences of a default.
"It is really precarious for our country," he said.
Until now, the White House and Senate Democratic leaders had been waiting for the House to act before making their next move with an eye on the Tuesday deadline set by the Treasury Department for raising the debt ceiling or facing the possibility that the government would not be able to meet all its financial obligations.
Failure to pass his proposal would have represented a significant defeat for Mr. Boehner, the first-year speaker who has invested significant political capital in trying to get his fractious majority behind the legislation, which had the strong support of the entire leadership team.
Facing that prospect, he adjusted his proposal to the right, and his opposition within the caucus evaporated.
Speaker John A. Boehner left the Capitol after voting in the House Chamber.
[h=6]By CARL HULSE, MICHAEL D. SHEAR and ROBERT PEAR[/h] [h=6]Published: July 29, 2011[/h]
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WASHINGTON - House Republicans muscled through a revised debt limit plan without a single Democratic vote on Friday night and the Senate quickly killed it by tabling the bill indefinitely and moving to start consideration of a Democratic plan to avoid default.
The move now sets up an uncertain 72 hours as the Congress moves ever closer to the Tuesday deadline when the Treasury Department says the country will default on its financial obligations without an increase in the debt ceiling.
Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, said he intends to start the legislative clock ticking on Friday on a new plan to raise the debt ceiling, though it was also possible to allow time for negotiation.
The two votes came about 24 hours after the first Republican proposal backed by Speaker John A. Boehner stalled. On Friday, the House voted 218 to 210 in favor of a revised plan that would increase the federal debt ceiling in two stages, with the second installment of $1.6 trillion contingent on Congressional approval of a Constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget. The Constitutional amendment provision was added to attract conservatives who balked Thursday.
"To the American people, I would say we tried our level best," Mr. Boehner said as he concluded a debate that had been abruptly halted Thursday evening. "We tried to do our best for our country, but some people still say no."
Although 22 Republicans opposed the bill, it cleared the House after it had appeared for a time on Thursday night that the Republican leadership had been thwarted in its efforts to send a take-it-or-leave-it offer to the Senate.
After a caucus meeting to round up the votes needed for House passage, Mr. Boehner agreed to modify his plan, which raises the debt ceiling only enough to last a few months. Senate Democrats have taken up a measure of their own, which would raise the debt ceiling until after the election, and prepared for debate and possibly votes on it over the weekend.
The changes by Mr. Boehner won enough votes to allow him to pass his bill with only Republican votes, including those of many, but not all, from the Tea Party faction. Urging its passage, an emotional Mr. Boehner angrily accused President Obama and his Democratic allies of negotiating in bad faith for weeks and called the bill the only way to "end this crisis now."
"All they would do was criticize what I put out there," Mr. Boehner said, his voice rising during a rare appearance on the floor. "I stuck my neck out a mile to get an agreement with the president of the United States. I stuck my neck out a mile. I put revenues on the table."
He added: "A lot of people in this town can never say yes."
The vote brushed aside Mr. Obama's plea earlier in the day for quick passage of a compromise bill that could attract support from both parties.
Democrats said the changes the House approved only made the House bill more unpalatable. "This is the most outrageous suggestion I have heard," said Senator Richard J. Durbin, the assistant Democratic leader.
Mr. Obama said: "Any solution to avoid default must be bipartisan. I urge Democrats and Republicans in the Senate to find common ground on a plan that can get support from both parties in the House, a plan that I can sign by Tuesday."
He urged Republicans in the House and Senate to abandon a bill that "does not solve the problem" and has no chance of passage in the Senate.
"There are a lot of crises in the world that we can't always predict or avoid," he said. "This isn't one of those crises."
In an effort to break the logjam, Mr. Reid, the majority leader, had called on Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, to meet with him on Friday to try to resolve to the stalemate.
"My door is open," Mr. Reid said as the Senate convened. "I will listen to any idea to get this done in a way that prevents a default and a dangerous downgrade to America's credit rating. Time is short, and too much is at stake, to waste even one more minute.
"The last train is leaving the station," he said. "This is our last chance to avert default."
It appeared that the Senate would be in session around the clock this weekend.
The Democrats said they would file a motion on Friday that would start the Senate debate, running down the procedural clock while Republicans, presumably, filibustered against the Reid proposal. The first vote on breaking the filibuster would come after midnight Saturday. Unless the Democrats can win over enough Republicans to cut off debate and move to approving the Reid bill or some variant, the Republicans would be forced to hold the floor continuously, awaiting some kind of deal.
Mr. McConnell, who had been working with Mr. Reid on a fallback plan, abandoned that attempt and has been supporting the effort by Mr. Boehner to push through a proposal that would raise the debt limit in two stages - an approach flatly rejected by Senate Democrats and the White House even before it was toughened with the latest demand for a constitutional amendment.
Mr. McConnell, too, came to the Senate floor on Friday and offered little indication that he was ready to deal, accusing Democrats of devoting recent days to undermining the House plan. "Our Democratic friends in the Senate have offered no solutions to the crisis that can pass either chamber," he said.
Mr. Reid said he would be making changes to his measure to attract more support but made clear that he considered the Senate plan the final effort to avert a default next week.
"There will be no time left to vote on another bill or consider another option here in the Senate," he said. "None."
Mr. Reid said he had also had a "sobering" conversation on Friday with Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner about the consequences of a default.
"It is really precarious for our country," he said.
Until now, the White House and Senate Democratic leaders had been waiting for the House to act before making their next move with an eye on the Tuesday deadline set by the Treasury Department for raising the debt ceiling or facing the possibility that the government would not be able to meet all its financial obligations.
Failure to pass his proposal would have represented a significant defeat for Mr. Boehner, the first-year speaker who has invested significant political capital in trying to get his fractious majority behind the legislation, which had the strong support of the entire leadership team.
Facing that prospect, he adjusted his proposal to the right, and his opposition within the caucus evaporated.
