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| WH Twitter's: Obama Will Speak to the Nation 9 PM Eastern Time |
At 4:30, the Senate will take up the nominations of two district judges, one in New York, and one in the Northern Marianas. Following around an hour of debate, the Senate will vote on the nominations.
On Friday, 51 Democrats voted against all Senate Republicans to table (kill) the Cut, Cap, and Balance bill, H.R. 2560. (Technically, Democrats voted to table the motion to proceed to the bill.)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Jamie Dupree writes today, “President Obama last night rejected a bipartisan deal offered to him by Congressional leaders of both parties which would have provided for a short-term extension of the debt limit in order to avoid a U.S. Government default. The agreement involved Speaker Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Reid and Senate GOP Leader McConnell - in fact, staffers from Reid and McConnell's offices were working on the legislative language together on Sunday. But when Reid took the bipartisan/bicameral plan down to the White House, it was rejected by the President.”
Writing for the Washington Examiner, Byron York adds, “But the GOP bill to cut spending and raise the debt ceiling, which would avert the coming default crisis, would also require at least one more debt increase before the 2012 election, and the president, working hard for re-election, does not want to deal with the issue again before November 2012. After consulting with Obama Sunday evening, Reid's willingness to work with the GOP disappeared. (The White House has all along blamed Republicans for blowing up the talks.) ‘I think Reid wants to get this done,’ says the senior Republican. ‘The problem is, the White House is so far out on a limb on vetoing anything that doesn't get Obama through the 2012 election that it's now kind of personal.’”
The White House has been remarkably candid about this goal. At his Friday press conference, President Obama said, “The only bottom line that I have is that we have to extend this debt ceiling through the next election, into 2013.” On Sunday, White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley said, “The president's position is, yes, let's move forward. If there's two steps, fine. But do not have a step in the second part that lets the political system once again show its dysfunction. Get this deficit ceiling put off until after the election . . . .” Asked by David Gregory on “Meet the Press,” “All right, I just want to be clear. The President would veto a plan if it does not extend the debt ceiling into 2013?” Daley replied, “Yes.” And on “Fox News Sunday,” Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner bluntly said, “We have to take that threat off the table through the election.”
So what is more important to President Obama: averting a crisis and beginning to get a handle on Washington’s out-of-control spending, or ducking this serious issue again until after November 2012?
Surely very tired of& the White House rhetoric, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), today outlined a "Two-Step Approach to Cut Spending and to Avoid Default" while preserving the full faith and credit of the United States.
“Republicans have put forward a responsible, common-sense proposal that meets our obligations to the American people and preserves the full faith and credit of the United States. This plan is far from perfect, but it adheres to our principles of ensuring that spending cuts are greater than any debt hike and it includes no tax increases. Importantly, it reflects the principles of ‘Cut, Cap, and Balance.’
“Time is running short and it would be irresponsible for the President to veto this common-sense plan and run the risk of default. I would encourage the Senate to pass this plan and the President to sign it.”
NOTE: This two-step approach outlined by GOP leaders today will (1) make spending cuts that are larger than any debt ceiling increase; (2) implement spending caps to restrain future spending; and (3) advance the cause of the Balanced Budget Amendment – without tax hikes on families and job creators. Here is more information on the plan:
- Cuts That Exceed The Debt Hike. The framework would cut and cap discretionary spending immediately, saving $1.2 trillion over 10 years (subject to CBO confirmation), and raise the debt ceiling by less – up to $1 trillion.
- Caps To Control Future Spending The framework imposes caps on discretionary spending that would establish clear limits on future spending and serve as a barrier against government expansion while the economy grows. Failure to remain below these caps will trigger automatic across-the-board cuts (otherwise known as sequestration).
- Balanced Budget Amendment The framework advances the cause of the Balanced Budget Amendment by requiring the House and Senate to vote on the measure after October 1, 2011 but before the end of the year, allowing the American people time to build sufficient support for this popular reform.
- Entitlement Reforms & Savings The framework creates a Joint Committee of Congress that is required to report legislation that would produce a proposal to reduce the deficit by at least $1.8 trillion over 10 years. Each Chamber would consider the proposal of the Joint Committee on an up-or-down basis without any amendments. If the proposal is enacted, then the President would be authorized to request a debt limit increase of $1.6 trillion.
- No Tax Hikes The framework includes no tax hikes, a key principle that Republicans have been fighting for since day one.
So what do we get from the White House and the President. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney just announced via Twitter that Tonight at 9 pm E.T. the President Obama will address the nation on the "stalemate over avoiding default and the best approach to cutting deficits" In other words, Obama can be expected to disturb our evening, pontificate, badger the American public, and in the words of Herman Cain, President Obama will act like the liberal that he is and will "shift the subject." "ignore the facts," and "name call."
Of most concern to Americans is that Obama may actually prove that he can make things worse than anyone expected. To date, Obama, his WH voices and pandering media-ites have focused on Obama's primary concern to put off the problem until after the 2012 election.
Neither Obama nor his staff have put forth a written plan. He wants the debt ceiling raised and the problem hidden until 2013 verses taking action now to cut federal spending by wasteful organizations and programs. Best guess is that he will again threaten to not pay lawfully required social security, military retirements and veterans benefits payments while continuing the waste on his political cronies, foreign countries, and misguided grandiose schemes. Or worse yet, he may take some dictatorial approach that makes things worse for America.
Tags: Washington, D.C., White House, US Senate, US House, debt proposal, Barack Obama, John Boehner To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
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