Posted on 07/29/2011 3:01:27 PM PDT by mdittmar
The House plans on voting on Speaker John Boehner's debt limit plan this evening, but with its demise imminent in the Senate, some Senate Republicans are considering getting behind Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's alternative plan.
"I voted for cut, cap, and balance,'" Republican Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts said today, in reference to the House Republicans' initial debt limit plan. "I'll vote for Boehner, and I'll vote for Reid. I've already said that. We need to move our country forward. It's time."
Senate Democrats have promised to reject Boehner's plan, which would only extend the nation's borrowing authority for another six months. Democrats say it would be unwise to re-create the debate over the debt ceiling and deficit reduction again, just before Christmas.
Reid's plan would extend borrowing authority at least through 2012. Like Boehner's plan, it calls for significant spending cuts and doesn't make any tax increases. Both plans call for a bipartisan commission to come up with longer-term deficit and debt reduction plans.
Brown said his staff is working with Reid's staff to give the proposed commission more teeth, CBS News Capitol Hill Producer John Nolen reports.The moderate Republican also said he appreciated President Obama's "tone" today, when the president said from the White House that Congress must pass a bill that can get bipartisan support.
"I 'm looking forward to moving our country forward and having an opportunity to at least to vote on something," he said.Reid plans to move his bill to the Senate floor tonight, after action on Boehner's bill is completed.
Coming out of a Republican conference meeting this afternoon, GOP Sen. John Thune also suggested Reid's bill could be modified to win some Republican support.
"I think there are some things that could be done to his bill to make it better, to make it more attractive to Republicans, and if we ever get to that point maybe we'll get the chance to do that," he said.
Like Brown, Thune said that the ideas put forward by the proposed bipartisan deficit reduction committee should be binding and enforceable. Thune also reiterated the GOP complaint that Reid's plan relies on some accounting gimmicks, such as counting money saved from winding down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as deficit reduction. He said that most Republicans want the spending cuts to match or exceed the amount that the debt ceiling is raised, and Reid's plan doesn't accomplish that yet.
In spite of the GOP concerns, Thune said Democrats and Republicans should be able to work together.
"You don't want things to drag on forever," he said. "Most of us believe you just can't kick this can down the road."
Of course they do. Turds
Thune is disappointing.
Brown says it’s “time to move our country forward?”
Translation: It’s time to puss out and be the liberal I really am!!!!!
I thought all bills had to originate from the House. How can Reid create a bill and vote on it in the Senate that never came from the House?
Oy!
Reid doesn’t want them to support it.
The democrats wanting you to kick the can down the road,
is like the Taliban telling a 8 year old boy to
“Step on this bottle.”.
Amazing that I thought of Scott Brown before I even read the story....and lo and behold, look who’s there!
“Republican” democrat-Lite types: “We need to move the country forward, even if we have to do it by, uh, moving backward.”
How about Senate/House Republicans promising to reject the Old Lady from Nevada's plan?!
Geez. Grow a pair of BALLS, Scott Brown.
oh, and I don’t blame the democrats, they are what
they are and we know what they are,
it’s the damn republicans that won’t stand
up for their constituents that fry my butt!
I’m pretty much fed up.
“I voted for cut, cap, and balance,’” Republican Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts said today, in reference to the House Republicans’ initial debt limit plan.
And how was that? The bill was tabled in the Senate and never came up for a real vote on the actual bill.
Here’s a better idea, grow a pair Scott.
Makes you think Senate Republicans suffer from Stockholm Syndrome.
Can’t expect him to tell the truth about that vote. The press isn’t, why should he?
Headlines that surprise no one:
Senate Sells out Conservatives!
“We need to reach across the aisle” says McCain.
harry doesn't need no Constitution!
As was Brownback during the immigration amnesty debates a few years back.
Pretty much a bunch of corrupt derelicts over there in Washington. Best to disassociate from them.
I hope the American people and their government representatives do not forget this August 2 deadline was just set for such a mockery as this (unless everyone is now believing Timothy Geithner).
It is only when those voting begin to believe the lies and do all kinds of things because they feel scared is when they will do the wrong thing.
You tell us not to be led astray by fear tactics that the Dems dish out on Republicans wanting to kill Social Security. Now Republican Representatives and Senators, you follow suit!
STAND FIRM.
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