Why won't the GOP House leadership support debt prioritiztion?

Rep. Trey Gowdy (SC-04), Rep. Steve Southerland (FL-02) ^ | July 15th 2011 | Rep. Trey Gowdy (SC-04), Rep. Steve Southerland (FL-02)

[vmivol00]

Washington, Jul 15 - Reps. Trey Gowdy and Steve Southerland introduced legislation today that puts America’s seniors, veterans and active duty military first in the event a debt limit agreement is not reached by the President’s August 2nd deadline. H.R. 2534, the Ensuring America’s Promises Act of 2011, would require the federal government to pay Social Security, Medicare and veterans benefits, active duty military salary, and interest on the federal debt before meeting other spending obligations.

[vmivol00]

Why won't Boehner bring this the floor for a vote? This would put the GOP in a position of strength and take away the Dems biggest media scare tactic.

Not passing this gives Boehner and Cantor an out support a big bargain or compromise.

Our leaders are disgusting.

[NTHockey]

Leadership requires intelligenge and courage, two characteristics in extremely short supply among the PUBs.

[yldstrk]

Yeah, sounds like a good idea

[algernonpj]

Why won't the GOP House leadership support debt prioritiztion?

Because for a good while we have had one party with 2 sets of window dressing. Neither party's leadership, which doles out $$ and support, represents the interest of the US or its citizens. We have the best government that global corporate and financial interests can buy.

[July4]

Mr. Boehner is trying to bargain with a Chicago thug. Boehner is out of his league. Mr. Cantor, although just as honorable a man as Boehner, is a skilled negotiator. CANTOR CAN STAND TOE TO TOE WITH OBAMA; Boehner clearly is not up to the job.

[skeeter]

Probably because doing this would lend to the democrat/media narrative of an impending budget cataclysm if the debt ceiling isn't raised.

[edcoil]

What should the debt level be? Now we are talking about 16 Trillion - why not make it 20

We have see reports that due to all the outlaws and future liabilities we have 70 Trillion in future debt already expected.

I just don’t get where all this stupidity is going.

[mewzilla]

America's Ruling Class -- And the Perils of Revolution By Angelo M. Codevilla

[libbylu]

Impressed with Southerland. He took out the bloody liberal ashhat Bates in November.

[Owen]

You guys are all allowing terminology that is not accurate.

Loans outstanding are debt.

Spending commitments are not debt. They are service contracts that have a cancellation clause.

These are not the same thing. The game that has been played that you are cooperating with is to lump these two categories into “obligations”.

Multi year service commitments can be revoked. Maybe you pay a cancellation fee, but they can be revoked. ALL government spending that is not repaying loans or paying interest on loans is an item which can be cancelled. Loans cannot be cancelled, only retired or defaulted on.

DEFAULT applies only to loans. Not ongoing commitments that can be cancelled.

[Jim from C-Town]

You are absolutely correct sir. Case in point is Social Security They have changed the plan benefits and retirement age all on their own whimsy. A contract would require that they negotiate a contract change with the recipients.

[vmivol00]

I just want to see GOP take away the Dems scare tactics. More importantly, I want to know why Boehner won’t bring this up for a vote.

[SusaninOhio]

I have another question: When are the Republicans going to respond to & deflect the constant accusations from the left about the Republican plan to cut SS & Medicare?

just this morning. on Fox News, EVERY Dem commentator managed to make the accusation, whether they were commenting on anything relating to the debt ceiling or not. EVERY one managed to get that talking point in, in an accusation that, unless the Repubs respond immediately, will again screw the hell out of us AGAIN.

The Repubs need to have a group of people listening/watching all of these shows, like the Dems do successfully. Some of us can certainly serve in this capacity, but a point person or dept needs to be identified that can respond to untrue accusations.

I am getting disgusted with the Repubs - they are taking the shovels from the Dems and cheerfully (stupidly) digging their own graves.

Guess I am a little late in figuring out how stupid they/we are.

[mrsmith]

There are a few bills dealing with this.
All of them are ‘in committee’.

I think the media would use passage of such a bill to claim it’s proof that Republicans aren’t being reasonable, hammer the market in treasury debt, and blame it all on Republicans.

I still think it’s a good idea, they may not succeed.

........................................

H.R.728
Latest Title: To require that the Government give priority to payment of all obligations on the debt held by the public, payment of Social Security benefits, and military funding in the event that the debt limit is reached.
Sponsor: Rep Stutzman, Marlin A. [IN-3] (introduced 2/15/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Related Bills:H.R.568, S.259
Latest Major Action: 2/15/2011 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
..............................

H.R.568
Latest Title: To require that the Government give priority to payment of all obligations on the debt held by the public and payment of Social Security benefits in the event that the debt limit is reached.
Sponsor: Rep Heller, Dean [NV-2] (introduced 2/9/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Related Bills:H.R.421, H.R.728, S.163, S.259
Latest Major Action: 2/9/2011 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

..............................
And this one is in committee in BOTH House and Senate

H.R.421
Latest Title: Full Faith and Credit Act
Sponsor: Rep McClintock, Tom [CA-4] (introduced 1/25/2011) Cosponsors (101)
Related Bills:H.R.568, S.163, S.259
Latest Major Action: 1/25/2011 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Full Faith and Credit Act - Requires the authority of the Department of the Treasury to pay the principal and interest on debt held by the public to take priority over all other obligations incurred by the government in the event the federal debt reaches the statutory limit.
..................

[SunkenCiv]

thanks vmivol00.

http://gowdy.house.gov/
http://www.treygowdy.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trey_Gowdy

http://southerland.house.gov/
http://www.southerlandforcongress.com/
http://www.thestatecolumn.com/florida/rep-steve-southerland-votes-to-cut-cap-and-balance-washingtons-budget/

[spintreebob]

Why?

Born in ‘43, my generation and the boomers younger than me of the ME GENERATION do not deserve all the money in those entitlements. We (both R and D) supported LBJ, Nixon, etc in raiding the trust funds.

Our generations know it and feel guilty about it. But being of the ME GENERATION, we do not want to discuss or debate it publicly. We want to make it undebateable.

The truth is that all spending is, and should be, on the table. We have no contract or property right in any money appropriated by Congress.

Hypocritical attempts to pander to seniors and veterans is not the way for us to be taken seriously.

[Norseman]

>>Why won’t Boehner bring this the floor for a vote? This would put the GOP in a position of strength and take away the Dems biggest media scare tactic. <<

Because he would be playing right into their hands by overtly admitting that he thinks it’s a risk.

It’s only a risk if the President decides he doesn’t want to pay Social Security. The money is there. He gets to choose. Let the Dems keep saying it might happen. Once people realize the money is there, and in current SS tax collections coming in to boot, there will be an uproar you won’t believe if SS payments are withheld. And that uproar will not be directed at the Republicans.

Boehner is a lot smarter than you think...get it in your head that the Republicans actually have the upper hand right now and are winning, even though they only control the House.

[Norseman]

>>Probably because doing this would lend to the democrat/media narrative of an impending budget cataclysm if the debt ceiling isn’t raised.<<

Exactly!

By the way, it will lead to “an impending budget cataclysm” but that’s no reason for the House to roll over. It is, however, a huge reason for the Senate Democrats to reconsider their opposition to any bill the House sends them that avoids it.

[vmivol00]

This would take it off the table. I agree they have the upper hand, but they also have a knack for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

I’m not sure the GOP is winning anything right now. All I see is a party that severely lacks leadership. They have 3 proposals competing with themselves. That doesn’t look like winning to me.

They have to sort out their position somewhat and present it in a unified voice. What they are doing now looks like cover for capitulation.

[vmivol00]

I’m not sure is Boehner is very smart...but he clearly thinks he is smarter than the American public.

Sources close to the budget talks in Washington told Fox Business Network that the emerging Obama-Boehner deal will likely incorporate a major gimmick to count more than $1 trillion in budget savings over the next decade — winding down the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The wars were being wound down anyway, but by assuming the costs of the wars continue at current levels for a decade, Obama and Boehner can claim $1 trillion in savings. The headline number would also add hundreds of billions in interest savings on the so-called war savings.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/07/22/senate-votes-to-set-aside-cut-cap-and-balance-plan-proposed-by-house-gop/#ixzz1SqyHKFce