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| By William Warren |
Today the Senate resumed consideration of S. 1323, the vehicle for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-NV) debt limit proposal. Reid filed his plan as an amendment to the bill and has filled the amendment tree, preventing further amendments. In other words, Reid does not care what the Republican Senators wish to consider in the bill. Reid then announced that when the House sends Speaker Boehner’s plan to cut spending, raise the debt ceiling in two installments, and create a joint committee to consider spending cuts to the Senate this evening, Reid will hold an immediate vote so Democrats can vote the bill down.
Yesterday, the Senate voted 100-0 to confirm FBI Director Robert Mueller for two more years as director. Wonder if he will ever look into Eric Holder's actions which have bordered on the criminal or into the DHS and ATF's "Fast and Furious" scandal. Is Mueller playing for the Obama team verses team USA. There was a time in our past when the American people knew the FBI had their back and would protect them from illegal acts even going on down the street in other Federal agencies.
In the House, Speaker Boehner has been trying to garner enough votes for his plan. But unlike Sen. Reid, Boehner is listening to his other Representatives. While some Representatives are saying they will vote no on any bill that raises the debt ceiling, their actions may result in worse consequences. Boehner was expected to call for a vote this evening but has had to postpone the vote in the House to possibly tomorrow. Boehner needs 261 votes to pass the bill that Democrat Senator Harry Reid threatens to be dead on arrival in the Senate.
If this bill doesn't pass, any compromise bill with the democrats will offer Republicans less spending cuts and a capitulation on raising the debt ceiling past 2012.
The New York Times notes, “[Senate Majority Leader Harry] Reid sent [Speaker] Boehner a letter signed by all 51 Senate Democrats and two independents assuring that his legislation, which would raise the debt ceiling for roughly six months — far less than President Obama wants — faced certain failure in his chamber. ‘Your approach would force us once again to face the threat of default in five or six short months,’ the letter said.”
But as Leader McConnell said, “Even more shocking is the fact that Democrat leaders and the President himself have endorsed every feature of this legislation except one: and that’s the fact that it doesn’t allow the President to avoid another national debate about spending and debt until after the next Presidential election. This assurance is the only thing the President and Senate Democrats are holding out for right now.”
In other words, Senate Democrats are threatening to block a bill to prevent default and cut spending solely so they and President Obama don’t have to face the consequences of their reckless spending spree closer to November 2012.
Leader McConnell elaborated, “The Democrats can try to justify their opposition to the House bill any way they want. They can claim they’re worried about a stalemate six months from now. They can ignore the fact that of the 31 times Congress and the President have raised the debt limit over the past 25 years, 22 of those debt limit increases lasted less than a year. Why? To make the President’s reelection campaign a little bit easier.”
Meanwhile, CBS News reported, “In a press conference on Wednesday, Reid argued that the Democratic plan was the only ‘true compromise’ on the table, and urged lawmakers to rally around it. ‘We're running out of time,’ he told reporters. ‘It's time to get serious about finding a compromise.’”
Yet this morning, Democrats own Budget Committee Chairman, Sen. Kent Conrad, told Fox News, “Senator Reid has a plan here, but I think it's likely that at this moment that won't get cloture, won't get 60 votes.”
So Democrats are looking to block the only measure that’s likely to have passed even one House of Congress.
[Be Sure to read Sen. Jeff Session's "Reid’s Accounting Hoax And Dem Leaders’ Budget Law Defiance Has Brought Us To 11th Hour"]
Tags: Washington, D.C., US Senate, US House, debt ceiling, debt, Harry Reid, John Boehner, Obama To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
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