Posted on 07/19/2011 6:58:39 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
John Boehner and the Republican caucus in the House passed the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act as promised on a near-party-line vote tonight, 234-190. The move puts the onus back on the White House to propose an alternative or assume responsibility for killing the debt-ceiling hike it contains:
Defying a veto threat, the Republican-controlled House passed legislation Tuesday night to slice federal spending by $6 trillion and require a constitutional balanced budget amendment to be sent to the states in exchange for averting a threatened government default.
The 234-190 vote marked the power of deeply conservative first-term Republicans, and stood in contrast to stirrings at the White House and in the Senate on a renewed effort at bipartisanship to solve the looming debt crisis.
Members of Congress have begun to fill e-mail inboxes with their reaction. From the upper chamber, Pat Toomey “applauds”:
“Today, my House colleagues have shown a willingness to raise the debt limit, but only if the president puts us on a path to a balanced budget. I applaud the House’s passage of the Cut, Cap and Balance Act and hope that the Senate will send this bill to the president’s desk,” Sen. Toomey said. “I find it hard to believe that the president would be so opposed to a path to a balanced federal budget that he would veto this legislation and reject the debt ceiling increase he claims is absolutely vital for the country.”
Paul Ryan declares victory:
“The House of Representatives continues to advance serious solutions to get our budget on the path to balance and our economy on the path to prosperity. The Cut, Cap and Balance legislation passed today cuts $5.8 trillion in spending over the next decade, locks in those savings with enforceable caps on spending, and forces Washington to finally live within its means with a Balanced Budget Amendment.
“The coming debt crisis is the single most predictable economic disaster in the history of this nation. Unfortunately, the White House refuses to put forth a credible plan to solve our spending problem, and Senate Democrats have not passed a budget in over 800 days. I remain hopeful that responsible leaders will work with us to advance specific solutions that uphold our solemn commitment to leave the next generation with a stronger, more prosperous nation than the one we inherited.”
However, Paul Broun sounds a dissent:
“I gave my word to my constituents in Georgia and to the rest of the American people that I would not vote for any bill that increases the debt limit. Although the Cut, Cap, and Balance bill is a step in the right direction, it still raises the debt ceiling by $2.4 trillion, and we simply cannot afford it.
“Also missing from the Cut, Cap, and Balance bill is the urgency to pay down the debt by immediately reducing the outrageous spending levels to which Washington has become so accustomed. Unfortunately, the cuts outlined in Cut, Cap, and Balance take effect over a period of ten years. We no longer have ten years to spare – it’s too little, too late.
“Undoubtedly, we have to cap spending and we must enact a balanced budget amendment, but Congress can get these tasks done without raising the debt ceiling. I have introduced bills to both lower the debt ceiling and to balance the budget.
“We’ve been down this road before. Administrations of the past have agreed to raise the debt ceiling on a contingency that cuts would be made in future budgets – but those cuts never materialized. It’s long past time to stop obligating our constitutional duties – along with our budgetary problems – to both future Congresses and future generations.”
Similarly, Michele Bachmann voted no on the final passage. She had been adamant about not raising the debt ceiling, offering a yes vote only in exchange for a full repeal of ObamaCare.
Either way, Republicans have now passed their second bill this session that attempts to address the exploding deficits and the debt crisis, the first being Paul Ryan’s budget plan in April. Meanwhile, Democrats in the Senate haven’t bothered to pass any budget resolution in over 800 days, and the White House still refuses to offer any specific ideas.
Broun is a patriot, patriots protect their country from the government. That makes him far more than a non-entty. You can count statesman on one hand.
The question is will they stick to it or cave in after a week?
Sure Ob is winning, which is why he is down to 42% and likely actually in the 30s. Here’s hoping he has more PR victories in the future.
Pray for America
Coburn is lying. And yes the House can cram a spending bill down the Presidents and Senates throat- they control spending. If they don’t get the vote, they stand strong and write the spending bills the way they want. Let the progressive R senators play their games, we need statesmen to stop the spending and prevent this debt limit increase. We do not have the time for these games.
Again & again these flakes in D.C. have no intention of stopping the spending. You all knew that they will raise the debt. They can't stop the spending - it's not in the old fossils that make up this corrupt CONgress.
God bless them all. Our grandchildren should know their names. Only nine who would stand.
Yep, my congratulations to all of them for doing the right thing. I wish many more of the conservative Tea Party freshmen had also voted no. I’m sure there was a lot of RINO pressure on them, being freshmen and all. Too bad.
I expect this entire budget fight won’t end well. I expect we will be rolled again and the national debt will soar. Until the GOP has the Senate and Presidency, we are screwed. We need a GOP executive and senate to repeal Obamacare anyway.
Here is to taking both in 2012! Of course, the GOP RINOs could still screw that up by surrendering to Obama, causing the conservative base to stay home again like in 2008.
I shudder at the thought. 4 more years of Obama will end us. Obamacare kicks in 2013. Once the Orcs get their Obamacare for 4 years, it will be the same as cutting Social Security - an untouchable 3rd rail. If Obamacare is not repealed before the parasites start sucking off it, there will be no repealing it.
Soros knows this.
Here’s a summary of the Gang Of Six proposal from Daniel Mitchell at the Cato Institute.” <<<
Got it. Thanks.
“According to Jeff Sessions...., “ <<<
Sessions is a prize, a gem, and what he says goes to the bank.
” And yes the House can cram a spending bill down the Presidents and Senates throat- they control spending. “ <<<
Oh, well in that case we don’t need the senate at all on the issue of the day—financial collapse and depression.
In another politically risky move, the Gang of Six plan would achieve significant savings in healthcare programs, Conrad said. The specific spending cuts would be decided later by congressional committees.
Only a fool would believe that a future congressional committee would actually cut any healthcare program.
Really? This is about the survival of this country. If we raise the debt ceiling and increase taxes, then the Reps deserve to lose. Most experts are now giving this country two years to address the debt and deficit issue. Otherwise the country goes down the toliet. PR victories are meaningless at this stage.
If he wins the PR battle he wins reelection and possibly the House.
He not only has to win the PR battle, he must force the Reps to cave and alienate their base. More spending, higher debt limits, and increased taxes will be the sign of a real victory for Obama. But such a win will prove to be a Pyrrhic victory. If Obama wins, the country loses. Turn out the lights the party is over.
Last person who said that was Nancy Pelosi.
You are whining about losing the PR battle, yet you are throwing away the BBA, something favored by an overwhelming majority of the American people. All 47 Rep senators are sponsoring the BBA in the Senate. Grow a pair.
......Obama is winning the PR battle....
Agreed. All major, reliable polls show this. Conservative GOP House members score a major vote success today which is overshadowed by conservative GOP Senators(Coburn, Crapo, Chambliss) pulling the rug out from under them. Tea Party coalition leader Bachmann votes no. What’s wrong with this picture? Do you have that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach again?
Sorry but that's the facts. There are too many sheeples that bought the notion that the US would collapse not raising it so the GOP will raise it. The whole futile CCB bill is nothing more than a prelim to raising the debt ceiling and debt. Boehner will say, “Tea Party got their vote and it's the Senate's fault it stopped there but we have to pass something that keeps the US from default”.
It's all a game.
......Obama down to 42%......
Unfortunately, House GOP is at about 22%. Unfortunately, Obama is about +20% at the moment vs the GOP House. I don’t like it, but those are the numbers.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.