Debt ceiling vote will test Dems' unity

The Hill ^ | October 11, 2013 | Alex Bolton

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Senate Democratic unity will face a test Saturday when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) moves forward with a plan to pass a 14-month debt-ceiling extension.

The unity of the 54-member caucus has been Reid’s biggest asset in his showdown with House Republicans. Senate Democrats have voted together to reject various House proposals to link legislation unraveling ObamaCare to a government funding stopgap.

If Reid keeps his rank-and-file members together, it would strengthen Democrats’ leverage in negotiations to avoid a federal default later this month.

But the vote presents a political risk to red state Democrats who are undecided over whether to support a clean extension raising the nation’s debt ceiling by an estimated $1.1 trillion.

.................Democrats also argue red state incumbents will face little political threat because the vote is on an arcane procedural motion.

“It’s just to debate the debt limit. No way that puts them in political peril,” said a Democratic aide.........

....Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), the third-ranking member of the Democratic leadership, predicts that “about every Democrat” will vote for the 14-month debt-limit bill, leaving a little wiggle room for defectors.

The Senate will vote at noon and the measure is expected to fail along party lines. Reid needs 60 votes to end debate on the motion to proceed to it.....

[txrefugee]

Everything is rigged to get the Democrats through next year’s elections. Who cares what happens to the country.....

[HarleyD]

I agree (for once) with Schumer. There isn’t any doubt the Senate Democrats aren’t in lock step over this and a 14 month extension takes they beyond the 2014 elections. This is just a cheap ploy for the Hill to make it seem that the Democrats are “anxious”.

Hopefully the House Republicans will refuse to take the bait.

[Iron Munro]

Senator Obama Criticizes President Obama's Out Of Control Spending

"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a Sign that the US Government cannot pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. ...Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that 'the buck stops here'. Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and Grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better."

-- Senator Barack Obama, March 2006

[Cincinatus' Wife]

And it’s something Obama can put on the table when negotiating with the House and try to find “common ground” for an extension until after the mid-term election.

I don’t think this will fly but the MSM will use it to poke weak-kneed, weak-minded GOP moderates, making them wee-wee and waffle.

[Tupelo]

ACTUALLY, a fourteen month extension might be a good thing. AFTER they pass a budget. AFTER they pass an across the board ironclad 5% annual reduction in total spending for 10+ years.

[Toespi]

Last night I saw this Obama quote on CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS AND MSNBC.
Then I woke up........

[SueRae]

Just enough to get through 2014 elections. How effing convenient for him.

[mwl8787]

Senate GOP had damned well better muster 41 of its 46 votes to stop cloture on this motion.

Any 14-month extension passed by the senate would cripple House conservatives at this time.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Jonathan Strong ‏@j_strong 8m

Getting word that House GOP not backing down

Jonathan Strong ‏@j_strong 13m

GOP Members woke up to find an email from Heritage calling the latest plan "surrender plus higher spending"

National Review on Shutdown

[mrsmith]

““It’s just to debate the debt limit. No way that puts them in political peril,” said a Democratic aide......... “

Yep, however-
the media had built this up as a vote on the debt limit so Republicans could be blamed for voting against raising the debt limit when they don’t vote for it.

Now the media has to spin on a dime and tell the truth. It’s all good fun.

[SueRae]

GOOD!

[Rapscallion]

Why test "Dems unity"?

Encourage them to do only what is best for America. Debt ceiling is not the work of any one political party; or at least it should not be.

You have the right to believe we are too in debt. Other good Americans have the right to believe otherwise - as long as we try to do what is best for America, America will be the winner. We all lose in the bitter accusatory debates.

[VRW Conspirator]

Just enough to get through 2014 elections. How effing convenient for him.

The Dems tipped their hand. They are worried about the 2014 election. The Repubs need to sense this and capitalize of what the Dems really want in negotiations.

[PLMerite]

“AFTER they pass an across the board ironclad 5% annual reduction in total spending for 10+ years.”

Can’t happen. No Congress is bound by an action of any previous Congress. In fact, the current Congress isn’t bound by any previous action of itself if it doesn’t want to be.

[Grampa Dave]

The reality of a real debt limit:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3076090/posts?page=1

The Debt Ceiling is the Law of the Land
redstate.com ^ | 10/6/13 | Daniel Horowitz
Posted on Monday, October 07, 2013 6:07:28 PM by cotton1706

Over the past few weeks, Democrats have indicated that they have no intention of negotiating over Obamacare, opting instead to shut down the government. They are justifying their obstinacy by asserting that Obamacare is the law of the land. Well, if that is the game they want to play, we should return the favor with the debt ceiling. The debt ceiling, pursuant to the Second Liberty Bond Act of 1917, is the law of the land. And it has been so for far longer than Obamacare.

Throughout this debate over funding Obamacare in the budget bill, House GOP leaders have stressed how the debt ceiling was the more appropriate means of fighting Obamacare. After all, it was “the next fight.” But as if on cue, some Republicans are already using the same Democrat talking points about the risk of default.

We are going to hear this erroneous talking point propagated by both parties over the next few weeks, so let’s put the myth to rest. The only way we default on the debt is if we fail to pay the interest on the public debt. According to the updated budget projection from the CBO, interest on the debt will be roughly $237 billion for 2014. Thanks to the short-term revenue benefits of the fiscal cliff and Obamacare tax hikes, the federal government is expected to rake in a record $3.042 trillion from the private economy this year.
Let’s engage in a simple math exercise. $3.042 trillion – $237 billion = $2.805 trillion. As long as the Treasury pays the first $237 billion in revenue to the shareholders of our debt, there will be no default, and we will have $2.805 trillion left to spend. Again, default is taken off the table. Discussion over.

What do you do with the remaining funds? You start funding core functions of government and those programs that people are already dependent on.

Social Security (retirement and disability) – $848 billion
Medicare – $505 billion
Medicaid – $298 billion
Defense – $582 billion
Veterans – $83 billion

Those expenditures account for roughly $2.3 trillion. The remaining half trillion can be prioritized as needed for other functions related to homeland security, national parks, or any other limited function.

Hence, the debt ceiling is a built-in balanced budget mechanism. If Democrats want to fund other functions of government, they need to commit to a balanced budget. If they want to fund the HHS and the IRS, they need to get rid of Obamacare. If they want to fund the EPA, they need to get rid of the war on coal.

The power of the purse manifest in the House of Representatives, in conjunction with the debt ceiling law, reflects democracy at work, especially with divided government. It’s time we stop peddling the myth of default, and start using our leverage to restore constitutional government and bring relief to those who are losing jobs and suffering from the high cost of living engendered by the harmful activities of the unconstitutional aspects of government.

[DouglasKC]

Democrats also argue red state incumbents will face little political threat because the vote is on an arcane procedural motion.

Oh...in that case then by all means vote to increase for more and more unchecked government spending.

[WhiskeyX]

Calendar No. 211

113th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1569
To ensure the complete and timely payment of the obligations of the United States Government until December 31, 2014.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

October 8, 2013
Mr. REID (for himself and Mr. BAUCUS) introduced the following bill; which was read the first time

October 9, 2013
Read the second time and placed on the calendar

---

A BILL
To ensure the complete and timely payment of the obligations of the United States Government until December 31, 2014.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Default Prevention Act of 2013’.

SEC. 2. ENSURING TIMELY PAYMENT.

Section 2 of the No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013 (31 U.S.C. 3101 note) is amended—

(1) by striking `date of the enactment of this Act’ each place it appears and inserting `date of enactment of the Default Prevention Act of 2013’;

(2) in subsection (a), by striking `May 18, 2013’ and inserting `December 31, 2014’; and

(3) in subsection (b), by striking `May 19, 2013’ each place it appears and inserting `January 1, 2015’.
Calendar No. 211

113th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1569

A BILL
To ensure the complete and timely payment of the obligations of the United States Government until December 31, 2014.

---

October 9, 2013

Read the second time and placed on the calendar

---

[leprechaun9]

Speaker Bonehead went for it before (pushed it past the 2012 Presidential Election) so that it wouldn’t be an issue in the campaign. So why not do it again?

[JLAGRAYFOX]

The Reid Cloture vote failed...not reaching th required sixty (60) votes 53 Dems, 45 Pubbies!!!