House Republicans Push Ahead With Their Own Deficit Reduction Plan (Cut, Cap and Balance)

Time ^ | Friday, July 15, 2011 | Alex Altman

[Red Steel]

With White House negotiations stalled and an Aug. 2 deadline looming, House Republicans will bring an alternative solution to rein in spending while raising the U.S.’s borrowing authority to the floor next week in a bid to break the debt-ceiling deadlock that threatens the U.S.’s credit and could spark a spreading fiscal calamity.

-snip-

The new plan isn’t new, exactly. Known as Cut, Cap and Balance, the three-pronged proposal would cut some $2.4 trillion from the federal budget, fulfilling Republican promises not to vote to raise the debt limit through 2012 unless they secure commensurate spending cuts. It would establish caps and structural controls on future spending. And it would be contingent on the passage of a constitutional balanced-budget amendment in both the House and the Senate, which requires a 2/3

-snip-

“All year, we have led on the big issues,” Boehner said at a press conference after a two-hour conference meeting in the basement of the Capitol. “We asked the President to lead. We asked him to put forward a plan. And he hasn’t. We will.”

Sean Duffy, a freshman from Wisconsin, says the rationale is simple. “Kick it to the Senate,” he says. “Tell the President, ‘You’ve gotta come with us on this. You want to be responsible,

-snip-

“Negotiations aren’t going anywhere” at the White House, says Jeff Flake of Arizona. “We have a real plan. We have the votes.” Bob Goodlatte, a Republican from Virginia, called Cut, Cap and Balance “the only plan so far that has a potential to get a majority in the House.”

-snip-

At a press conference on Friday morning, Obama dismissed the need for a balanced-budget amendment and pointed out that the cuts in the House Republican plan — whose name he mangled and whose details he shredded

[LS]

While like many here I think this is something of a cop out, it does propose a real plan that would put pressure on the Senate; include the balanced budget amendment that conservatives have wanted since the Reagan years; and provide some cuts (yes, offset by debt limit increases).

I'm beginning to think that a draw with no new taxes will be as big a victory as we can get until 2012, insofar as it may keep the issue on the front burner and force another 2010-type tea party revolution that would give us either the presidency and/or a 2/3 in each house.

Don't get me wrong: I'm all in favor of shutting down the government, but in the process I think the GOP has to at least look like they are "flexible," even if the bedrock principles don't change.

[pgkdan]

I don't see this as a cop out, as long as the cuts are real, substantial and verifiable! Let the House pass a plan. A responsible plan and then let obama and the Senate act.

And while we're at it...someone put a muzzle on Mitch McConnell.

[expatpat]

I agree. I think it is a reasonable solution to the current deadlock. Let the Senate Democrats kill raising the debt-ceiling if they dare.

[Sacajaweau]

btt

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Red Steel, sidebars:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2749093/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2749096/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2749172/posts

[mulligan]

Truly sad that the nation is being led by so many incompetent politicians. Politics first and our nation a distant second.

[pburgh01]

I agree. I think it is a reasonable solution to the current deadlock. Let the Senate Democrats kill raising the debt-ceiling if they dare.

I agree, some of the purist may shoot you, they want with 1/3 of the government in our control and 1/2 the populace basically livestock who is feeding at the trough, 10 trillion in cuts over 2 years and no debt ceiling increase, it's that or you are a RINO traitor. If Obama gets 0 tax increases and we get 2 trillion in real cuts I could live with the debt ceiling increase, best you can do with a chimp like Obama in the White House and THAT would be what Charlie Sheen is famous for saying "WINNING". It would send Obama's base into orbit. Unless you can provide a steady stream of ever increasing gubmint money and showing your loser base you are getting back at the man you are pretty useless to them, regardless if you are the skin color of Beyonce or Jay-Z.

The debt ceiling this is a canard, they never obey it anyways, it's basically an artifical number, might as well make it 1 gazillion, Washington never seems to obey it anyways, thus our current fight. I think of it as we can raise our CC limit to 1 million dollars from 900k but reduce our overall balance to 500k. Yes we still owe money but raising the limit does not implicitly mean we are more or less out of debt. Let the Democrats have this fixation on the artificial debt ceiling, give them a credit increase and then cut up the damn credit card. WINNING!

[Iron Munro]

This is the correct approach.

They have the constitutuional responsibility - not the president.

All these negotiations are doing is inflate Obama’s ego a little more and give him a stage to strut and posture.

He offers nothing constructive - He’s just another whining brat that doesn’t like peas: “I din’t like that.”, “I don’t like that.”

Send him a balanced budget and put the ball in his court.

[O6ret]

There are 33 Senators up for reelection in 2012 of which 21 are Dems and 2 are Independents who caucus with the Dems.

Some of them come from hard core Lib states but most need to fight for reelection against strong Rep opponents and electorates who are walking away from Obama’s record budget deficits and spendthrift ways.

I’m betting that Senate doesn’t have to gonads to reject the House bill and will pass the buck to the President....who also will not veto it.

[NYCslicker]

“I think the GOP has to at least look like they are ‘flexible,’ “

Not really. Most people I know didn’t vote in Nov 2010 for someone to be “flexible.”

I voted for someone to go and oppose Obama, and that’s what I expect.

Anything less and we need another conservative party to do the work, because this one is just not working out, in that case.

[La Enchiladita]

Sean Duffy, a freshman from Wisconsin, says the rationale is simple. “Kick it to the Senate,” he says. “Tell the President, ‘You’ve gotta come with us on this. You want to be responsible,

There's the rub. Meanwhile, McConnell is working with Reid on a deal. So, instead of having the House and Senate Republicans united versus Obama, we have Senate GOP versus House Republicans.

I'm so sick of the damn Senate GOP (with very few exceptions.) Once they get in there, they look down on everyone else, esp. House members. Rubio wasn't a senator more than two months before he publicly dissed Ryan's budget plan and vowed to vote against it. Do democrats ever do this, fight their own? I don't think so....

/rant

[screaminsunshine]

I am over this debt ceiling. Pass something and bring on the next election.

[LS]

I disagree. I think people voted in 2010 for someone to go in and obtain conservative SOLUTIONS. To obtain nothing at all by being "inflexible" does not advance your agenda. A balanced budget amendment; the senate being forced to sign on to spending cuts ALL THE WHILE CONTINUING WITH THE 2100 RYAN BUDGET PLAN, well, that's some progress.

I don't mind the government being shut down, but it absolutely cannot be a repeat of 1995 and must carefully be thought through as to how the GOP will obtain its ends.

[WOSG]

The REAL copout is the two extremes of
- “Just say No” to any debt ceiling increase, or
- McConnell’s pass-the-buck cave-in

This is the real answer. I do think the BBA requirement goes too far in that we cannot expect Democrats to support to 2/3rds level, but at least put it out there and we may get close.

“I’m beginning to think that a draw with no new taxes will be as big a victory as we can get until 2012” - Obama has put himself firmly in the Mondale-mode on taxes, and if he wants to be a one-termer over it, make my day. Fact is, the GOP cannot and must not cave on that.

If God wanted them to raise taxes, he wouldnt have made them Republicans.

“Don’t get me wrong: I’m all in favor of shutting down the government”

Shocking. I am opposed to shutting down the govt and any good freeper should be as well. We need to keep our priorities. Our goal should be to shrink govt. Shutting it down should NOT be the goal, not if it hands Obama a political victory. On the other hand, we should not let the fear of shutdown threats force the GOP to make bad decisions.

This is why this is the right approach. What Boehner said all along was that a debt ceiling raise could be done if spending cuts were done along with it. So stay the course on that and in the end, if the GOP is firm and consistent, that is how it will be done.

“process I think the GOP has to at least look like they are “flexible,”” They need to be flexible enough to accept some compromise. For example, BBA is nice but if it doesnt happen, dont shut down govt over that. Cut and cap would be enough of a win. And the levels, that can be negotiated, but make substantial FY 2012 cuts and real caps or its not worth it.

Be firm, but flexible. Do not be so brittle that you break at the wrong time.

[WOSG]

“They have the constitutuional responsibility - not the president.

All these negotiations are doing is inflate Obama’s ego a little more and give him a stage to strut and posture.

He offers nothing constructive - He’s just another whining brat that doesn’t like peas: “I din’t like that.”, “I don’t like that.”

Send him a balanced budget and put the ball in his court.”

Well stated on all points.

I would add that the Senate shares the responsibility and have failed. That failure is at Harry Reid’s feet.

Passing a debt ceiling bill through the House is a direct challenge to Harry Reid to do the same thing. If Obama and Reid have any better idea than the spending cuts passed in the House - FINE - let’s see them pass those ideas in the US Senate, then sit down and work out the differences between that and the House passed approach. That is the ONLY way to actually solve this, through the regular order and standard Congressional bill passage conference compromise.

[NYCslicker]

“I think people voted in 2010 for someone to go in and obtain conservative SOLUTIONS.”

An immediate forced 40% cut in spending is a solution.

“To obtain nothing at all by being ‘inflexible’ does not advance your agenda.”

An immediate forced 40% cut in spending is not “nothing at all”. It is something quite significant.

“A balanced budget amendment; the senate being forced to sign on to spending cuts ALL THE WHILE CONTINUING WITH THE 2100 RYAN BUDGET PLAN, well, that’s some progress.”

It would be, if Democrats would sign on to it. All indications are they won’t.

“I don’t mind the government being shut down, but it absolutely cannot be a repeat of 1995. . .”

Fear is not a strategy.

[Jim Noble]

Why is anybody negotiating ANYTHING at the White House?

All of the relevant powers delegated by the People to the united States are contained in Article I.

The President has absolutely nothing to do with the budget.

[tsowellfan]

I say pass something good, put it in the laps of the democrats and let them pay for whatever damage they do

[tsowellfan]

John Boehner:

“The President said today that the American people are “sold” on job-crushing tax hikes. Most Americans would beg to differ. Our looming debt crisis isn’t the result of Washington not taxing enough; it’s the result of our government spending too much. It’s absurd & self-destructive to continue dumping taxpayer money into a failed ‘stimulus’ philosophy. The White House must step up & embrace real spending reductions.”

https://www.facebook.com/johnboehner?sk=wall