House Passes Amended Boehner Plan
This evening, the House passed the Boehner plan with the addition of a balanced budget amendment by a vote of 218 to 210. The bill will almost certainly be defeated by the Senate, but at least Republicans have staked out a negotiating stance that has at least tepid support from all reaches of the coalition, and can sit back and wait for the Democrats' counter-offer.
I appreciated Boehner's parting shot, which he delivered as he wrapped up the vote. For all his shortcomings, the man strikes me as earnest a politician as they come.
“To the American people, I’d say: We tried our level best,” Boehner said. “We’ve tried to do the right thing by our country, but some people continue to say no.”
His voice rising, the Speaker recounted his effort to forge a grand bargain with Obama to reduce the deficit and overhaul entitlements and the tax code.
“I stuck my neck out a mile to try to get an agreement with the president of the United States,” Boehner said, as Democrats in the chamber jeered. “I stuck my neck out a mile.”
With Republicans cheering, he demanded of the White House: “Put something on the table. Tell us where you are!”
Boehner concluded by urging members of both parties to support the bill “for the sake of the economy” and to “end this crisis now.”
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Dec '10
Re: House Passes Amended Boehner Plan
Next stop: tabled in the Senate. Back to square one.
Aug '10
Re: House Passes Amended Boehner Plan
Boehner is a very demonstrative fellow. He wears it on his sleeve. Transparently, emotionally honest, and we all know someone that looks and acts just like him (failing that we cerainly wish we did).
Obama is a cold fish , pickled by Noonan today.
Americans love neighbors , characters, and truth.
Batter up !
Oct '10
Re: House Passes Amended Boehner Plan
With all due respect to the efforts so far, it is all so much chicken scratching on paper.
In all this, just what is it that Obama wants ? Honestly now, does anyone have a viable prediction ?
May '11
Re: House Passes Amended Boehner Plan
Diane Ellis, Ed.:
I appreciated Boehner's parting shot,
That parting shot was at the Tea Partiers who held to their beliefs. Yes he is tired and frustrated but it was not the Tea Partiers that made it so difficult. It was the administration and still is.
Like KP says above, "Tabled in the Senate." But not back to square 1. Reid and McConnell are ready to trot out their back-room agreement. It will pass the Senate and Obama will promise to sign it if it passes the House. The House Dems and the House Rinos pass it. Checkmate Tea Party.
Oct '10
Re: House Passes Amended Boehner Plan
wilber forge: With all due respect to the efforts so far, it is all so much chicken scratching on paper.
In all this, just what is it that Obama wants ? Honestly now, does anyone have a viable prediction ? · Jul 29 at 6:48pm
Mostly, the President does not want . . . to stop spending money, to have this issue out front again before Nov 2012, to come up with solutions instead of voting "present."
Apr '11
Re: House Passes Amended Boehner Plan
Pilli
That parting shot was at the Tea Partiers who held to their beliefs. Yes he is tired and frustrated but it was not the Tea Partiers that made it so difficult. It was the administration and still is.
Like KP says above, "Tabled in the Senate." But not back to square 1. Reid and McConnell are ready to trot out their back-room agreement. It will pass the Senate and Obama will promise to sign it if it passes the House. The House Dems and the House Rinos pass it. Checkmate Tea Party. · Jul 29 at 6:50pm
Yes, but in 1 month our credit rating will be downgraded anyway because we have not seriously addressed our ongoing long-term debt causing severe market shocks. The Tea Party stands up and says "See, we told you so" and this becomes the theme of the coming Nov elections, the GOP advances its House advantage and wins the Senate and Mr. Obama is a dead man walking.
Apr '11
Re: House Passes Amended Boehner Plan
sorry about the double post
Edited on Jul 29, 2011 at 7:15pmDec '10
Re: House Passes Amended Boehner Plan
Can the R's in the senate block the Reid bill from cloture and make the Boehner bill the only game in town?
Oct '10
Re: House Passes Amended Boehner Plan
HVTs
wilber forge: With all due respect to the efforts so far, it is all so much chicken scratching on paper.
In all this, just what is it that Obama wants ? Honestly now, does anyone have a viable prediction ? · Jul 29 at 6:48pm
Mostly, the President does not want . . . to stop spending money, to have this issue out front again before Nov 2012, to come up with solutions instead of voting "present." · Jul 29 at 7:08pm
On the face of it, Obama will stall, marginalize all efforts and present himself once again as a saviour. The man is just trying not to get anything on his shoes.
The detachment game Obama is playing just may not provide what he thinks....
Dec '10
Re: House Passes Amended Boehner Plan
I just heard Yosemite Sam tell Bugs Bunny, "Surrender Rabbit, I've got you outnumbered one to one!" Kind of reminded me of this debt debate for some reason.
May '11
Re: House Passes Amended Boehner Plan
Sorry, but that parting shot is a cry for help. It is a frustrated man who has been outmaneuvered by an enemy who refuses to show himself. Boehner has slapped away the helping hands offered while insisting that eventually, his oppponent will become honorable. Now he is stuck. Angry and alone, unable to see his opponent, he now feels that outrage will bring them to heel. It will not.
This is why the Tea Party still tells the GOP "Join or Be Destroyed". It's not a threat, you hammerheads, it's a rescue.
Translation of Boehner's rant: "I trusted yooooooou!"
Expect a lull while we all catch a little sanity time. But by mid next-week, I expect to hear mounting calls to replace Boehner. Nice man, wrong job.
May '10
Re: House Passes Amended Boehner Plan
I'm curious about the "helping hands" you're referring to. Boehner helped pass Cut, Cap & Balance when for months we've known it stood no chance in the Senate. What assistance do you think the tea party could provide that would get through to the American people in the face of Senator Reid's demagoguery?
(This is not a rhetorical question... the fact that anyone can restrain their gag reflex while listening to Reid is a source of confusion for me!)
May '10
Re: House Passes Amended Boehner Plan
I think we saw last week that Obama wants what he's always wanted: higher taxes. He saw the debt ceiling as a crisis that would be used for the tax hike his wild spending will necessitate.
Less for the citizens, more for the government - just another day at the office!
Oct '10
Re: House Passes Amended Boehner Plan
So it took Reid two hours to kill the Bill. The NYTimes has the expected spin: "It was hard to imagine that the House bill to raise the debt limit, and slash and burn the economy, could get any worse. But on Friday it did." Now "It's Up to the Senate" to save the country. Does anyone think this exact same editorial wouldn't have been run no matter what was in Boehner 3.0? What was the point of voting for it again?
May '11
Re: House Passes Amended Boehner Plan
This whole episode is so depressing. How can the Democrats not have a budget for 2 1/2 years, spend like idiots, and still come out on top? Republicans have had months to prepare for this and instead, are scrambling around on defense while the democrats do nothing. This problem is never going to get fixed until economic collapse.
How will we have any hope of getting rid of Obamacare?
May '10
Re: House Passes Amended Boehner Plan
Advertising. Republicans are still letting Democrats frame and dominate the public conversation. They are playing defense and being manipulated by Democrats, as always.
The Republicans have just one year to convince the majority of American voters that we must completely freeze spending and start making cuts. They have one year to convince people that the government is too big, too powerful, and must be downsized.
Oct '10
Re: House Passes Amended Boehner Plan
I am puzzled why Republican conservatives voted against Boehner 2.0 and forced Boehner 3.0.
1) The Senate hasn’t passed a budget for over two years and there has been no outcry from the public. How did Boehner 3.0 increase the chance of such an outcry?
2) How does splitting the conservative opposition to President Obama help to address our current level of spending? There are two months until Fiscal 2011 ends, and the fight over continuing resolutions for Fiscal 2012 begins if the Senate doesn’t pass a 2012 budget. Couldn’t we have continued the budget debate with America if Boehner 2.0 passed?
3) How does Boehner 3.0 address the contribution to the deficit of current Medicare and Medicaid entitlement spending and enhance our chances of keeping the House, and winning the Senate and Presidency in 2012. If we don’t win control of Congress with a Republican president in 2012 how can we repeal Obamacare which adds to the entitlement problem?
4) Why would voting for Boehner 2.0 after voting for the Ryan budget and “Cut, Cap and Balance” violate any promises they made to their constituents during the 2010 election?
Oct '10
Re: House Passes Amended Boehner Plan
ctruppi
The Tea Party stands up and says "See, we told you so" and this becomes the theme of the coming Nov elections, the GOP advances its House advantage and wins the Senate and Mr. Obama is a dead man walking. · Jul 29 at 7:11pm
Isn't the impact of the debt on our children and grandchildren a more compelling argument? I am afraid that a downgrade will have unexpected consequences that will not contribute to success in the 2012 elections. You saw what the progressive megaphone did to President Bush and the Republicans in 2006 and 2008. Why do you think they won't turn that megaphone on the Tea Party and Republicans in 2012?
Mar '11
Re: House Passes Amended Boehner Plan
About the only good thing to come out of this is that Mr Obama's poll numbers are sinking like a lead balloon - so hopefully the voters will fire him and demote Mr Reed.
Then, with Mrs Bachmann in the White House, the real cuts can begin...
Edited on Jul 30, 2011 at 1:36amOct '10
Re: House Passes Amended Boehner Plan
Sadly, future impact arguments—even couched in terms of ‘the children’—don’t seem to work. The remaining ‘greatest’ generation and most Baby Boomers are self-absorbed and do not believe they owe anything to anyone, only to something ill-defined like “the planet” (which impacts the car you buy and number of kids you have, not much more). Once the shame of debt is removed (which is to say it’s detached from morality), arguing it’s “wrong” doesn’t gain traction. And once let off the hook, few voluntarily opt to decide that, actually, they are doing something “wrong” not just “wrong-headed.” Instead, they concoct rationales such as that morality is relative and subjective. [An interesting discussion of the morality aspect of the debt issue is woven into Ricochet’s Young Guns (Diane Ellis among them!) podcast “Apocalypse Meow.” There are upcoming, clear-thinking communicators, like Diane, thank God. But enough of them to sway a nation? Well, let’s just say the Young Guns have their work cut out for them.]