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.
Hey,
It’s a good first step.
And ya have to give them credit for having more moxie then first believed
Wrong, that poll only had 25% Republicans and doubtful there were that many. In reality, the Tea Party only represents 25% and look what happened last election.
Pray for America
This is kicking the can down the road, they will cave in a few days and then they all will say, but we tried. Total BS, if they were serious they would repeal obamma care.
Not raising the debt ceiling was never a viable option. When you are running $1.6 trillion deficits and 43 cents out of every federal dollar is borrowed, you can't abruptly fail to raise the debt ceiling. The issue is what you can get in return. That is what we should be looking at in terms of judging the Reps. If the Reps fail, then it is time for a third party. As a Tea Party member, I would recommend having a national Tea Party summit and go from there. Losing in 2012 will be better than rewarding people who have betrayed their promises. I hope the Rep leadership understands what is it at stake. If they don't hold the line, there will be consequences.
The whole futile CCB bill is nothing more than a prelim to raising the debt ceiling and debt.
Futile my a$$. If the Reps don't push for its passage, then they are fools. They are holding a winning hand in these negotiations. Let August 2 come and go and let's see who cracks first. Obama will be forced to decide who the winners and losers will be when parceling out the limited funds. The Reps in the House have already authorized raising the debt limit, provided cuts, and vowed not to raise taxes. They just need to stand firm.
I would love it but I don’t believe the GOP will hold the line even if they could.
Re. federal funding for those local government incomes, BTW.
Five Democrats broke ranks to support this: Dan Boren (OK), Mike McIntyre (NC), Jim Cooper (TN), Jim Matheson (UT), and Heath Shuler (NC).
Nine Republicans broke ranks, including Ron Paul (TX), Michele Bachman (MN), Paul Broun (GA), Dana Rohrabacher (CA), Scott DesJarlis (TN), Walter Jones (NC), Connie Mack IV (FL), Morgan Griffith (VA), & Fransisco Canseco (TX).
If Obama wins, this country is headed for Civil War II.
LOL. You really are an establishment Republican. You have that same loser’s attitude. You are more worried about PR and who will be blamed politically. As I said previously, grow a pair. Contact your Reps in Congress and tell them to support cut, cap. and balance.
Are you saying the GOP will hold the line?
They won’t, they will fold like a cheap suit.
I support a BBA but I’m also a realist and know that there is not the votes for it.
We do need to worry about the PR battle in order to win in 2012 and have the real ability to pass a BBA.
DesJarlais is my Congresscritter and at first, I was miffed he voted “nay”. THEN, I read the bill. Just sent a “thanks” email to him.
Boehner did not sabotage his own troops — it would hurt his standing as speaker.
Coburn and McConnell — yes, it was deliberate and mean.
I assume most, if not all, the Republicans who broke ranks did so because they didn’t think the bill went far enough to guarantee fiscal discipline.
I support a BBA but I’m also a realist and know that there is not the votes for it.
So what? The Democrats never take no for an answer. They continue to push their agenda regardless of the outcome of votes or court decisions. Their persistance and perseverance pays off whether it is abortion, gay rights, "gren" energy, or spending on such things as Planned Parenthood and ACORN. And the BBA is good politics because the majority of Americans support it. Push for it and get the Dems on record.
We do need to worry about the PR battle in order to win in 2012 and have the real ability to pass a BBA.
We could get good PR by just caving into the Dems in the name of compromise. This isn't about PR, it is about advancing our agenda and maintaining the positions that gained us control of the House in 2010. If we break those promises, we will not only lose the WH, we will also lose the House. If Obama gets his way, he will be seen as a strong leader who faced down the Tea Party and the GOP will be divided and fractured. Our only real course of action is to stand by our principles and fight for what is right. You go down fighting. In this case, we hold the winning hand.
You are correct we don’t need the senate. Or, I should say we should not tolerate the senate because they are bringing us to absolute disaster. The few conservatives there are not taking the necessary action to shut it down, they could, any one strong man can tie it up in knots. They are not doing it. The only explanation is that they do not take the destruction of our economy seriously. They are still playing political games. It we the people do not stand up and protect our nation from the government there will be collapse and absolute mayhem. Is there one who will stand in the gap? Apparently not in the senate.
I’m trying to get my info as you suggested and happened to find this. It also clarifies a little more what I said in another thread about my dislike of political games at the cost of America.
You said: Let August 2 come and go and let’s see who cracks first. Obama will be forced to decide who the winners and losers will be when parceling out the limited funds. (end of excerpt)
I know you are just quoting what many seem to want to happen, so please don’t take this personally, but this is exactly what I would call grandstanding (”trying to impress an audience” in my commoner’s definition - just so we are clear this time around, to win the next election), and this bothers me. The callous concern for what Obama would do, and in fact the hope that he WILL do something harmful to our country so he looks bad and “we win”, is very disturbing.
These kinds of political plans may help win elections, but they put the well being of our country at risk just as well. Who WANTS to put our lives in the hands of Obama, especially when we already know he would love to create chaos?
This may very well be what will indeed happen. Perhaps it will be the only thing that works out by August 2, but I do not look forward to the harm I believe will come from Obama’s decisions if left to them. I just can’t get to the point of hoping our country will be hurt just to win the next election.
Are my words meant for a plea to compromise? No. I am just asking that we not get too excited about having bad things happen at the hands who those that are ready to hurt our country just so we can throw blame to win elections.
At least let’s be solemn about what may be at hand and what cost we may have to endure.
I also think a hefty amount of prayer for protection from what Obama might try to do would also be in order at this time. Hoping we get hurt though? Just hard to get excited about.
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