GOP leaders are confident they can pull it off, but even with a vote on the Boehner deficit plan expected in the next couple of hours, it is clear they are still working to secure the 216 ‘yeas’ they’ll need for passage. That means they can afford no more 24 dissensions, assuming no Democrats vote for the plan, which now looks likely. As it turns out, that’s exactly how many NO votes I have down in my latest whip count.
UPDATE: Rep. Tim Scott (R., S.C.) just said on Fox News that he is a no, which puts them over the limit.
UPDATE II: Back to 24 as Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R., Tenn.) switches to yes. Earlier today, he was seen exiting a one-on-one meeting with Speaker Boehner just off the House floor.
UPDATE III: Well, it looks like Boehner needs some more time. House members have been advised that the vote is postponed, but will be held later this evening.
UPDATE IV: Things appear to be getting desperate. Reps. Joe Walsh (R., Ill.) and Louis Gohmert (R., Texas) have just met with Speaker Boehner and are still no’s. Gohmert says he is a “bloody, beaten down no.”
Rep. Charlie Dent (R., Pa.), a yes, says he’s spoken to leadership. They are short on votes but “very close.”
NO (24)
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Rep. Todd Akin (R., Mo.)
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Rep. Justin Amash (R., Mich.)
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Rep. Michele Bachmann (R., Minn.)
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Rep. Paul Broun (R., Ga.)
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Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R., Utah)
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Rep. Jeff Duncan (R., S.C.)
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Rep. Jeff Flake (R., Ariz.)
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Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R., Tenn.)
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Rep. Trent Franks (R., Ariz.)
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Rep. Phil Gingrey (R., Ga.)
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Rep. Louie Gohmert (R., Texas)
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Rep. Trey Gowdy (R., S.C.)
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Rep. Tom Graves (R., Ga.)
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Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R., Kan.)
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Rep. Jim Jordan (R., Ohio)
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Rep. Steve King (R., Iowa) (a “strong, strong lean no”)
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Rep. Jeff Landry (R., La.)
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Rep. Connie Mack (R., Fla.)
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Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R., S.C.)
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Rep. Ron Paul (R., Texas)
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Rep. Dennis Ross (R., Fla.)
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Rep. Tim Scott (R., S.C.)
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Rep. Steve Southerland (R., Fla.)
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Rep. Joe Walsh (R., Ill.)
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Rep. Joe Wilson (R., S.C.)
During votes earlier today, Boehner was pulling members off the floor for one-on-one meetings. Most undecideds seem to be breaking yes at this point, but leaders will likely need to see if they can peel off a few of these members if they want to avoid an embarrassing defeat. But looking over the list, I see very few members who I can realistically see switching at this point. That said, I think if Boehner needs a vote or two, he’ll find a way to get them.
What's amazing to me is the fact that CCB passed much easier, and got bipartisan support. Why didn't Boehner chose that proposal as the final House bill? A proposal most of us in the Tea Party can live it?
The horrific Boehner proposal, if passed, will die a swift death in the Senate. And since Boehner & Co has already telegraphed that they are willing to water down their own proposals, I wouldn't blame Reid for thinking they can water it down even further.
Epic fail of leadership by the House GOP.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI agree, John. The stategery should have insisted the Senate have an actual vote on the House cut/cap/balance - and the House should have said there will be no negotiating with ourselves.
Make all those Democrat Senators go on record with their 'No' vote to the bill, and not just the procedural 'table the bill' nonsense.
Force McKaskil, Tester, the Nelsons and the like to vote.
If the bill is defeated, THEN the House could have gone with today's bill - but not a second before an actual voted defeat.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Make all those Democrat Senators go on record with their 'No' vote to the bill"
hmmm. how do you make them, exactly?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYou 'make' them by sending the GOP to every microphone available and shouting that a bipartisan solution has been passed by the House, and thus our duty has been met. We are in recess until the Senate acts on our legislation.
You then call out Reid and the Democrats for not wanting to have a vote that would pass and solve the immediate crisis, or would fail, thereby putting certain vulnerable Dems on record before the 2012 election.
You shame Reid into voting on the measure, and you get the Republican Senators on TV and radio with the exact same message.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIn the event that the House and Senate don't agree as to their date of adjournment, the president decides to adjourn them.
"he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper;"
US Constitution, Article II, Section 3
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYour assuming that the people will all put pressure on the Senators to vote on the House proposal. But most if not all polls show the majority of the people want the parties to come together (albeit that's impossible) and vote on a comprehensive package of entitlement reform, discretionary budget cuts and some tax increases. There is no reason why we can't change the CPI computation for social security, increase the retirement age to 70, increase Medicare eligibility to at least 67, cut down on doctor and hospital payouts, drastically cut discretionary spending, including defense spending where we are no longer taking care of the whole world, and then go back to the tax rates of the Clinton administration (pre Bush tax cuts) starting in 2013 (when the Bush tax cuts expire), and I would like to see a change to the Earned Income Tax Credit so that everybody and I mean everybody has to pay some income taxes, even the poor and lower middle classes. We also need to change the rules regarding hedge funds so that they are not paying the capital gains tax rates, but regular income tax rates. This way everybody is paying more, but there is significant reductions in spending especially in the out years, when the Medicare and Social Security changes take affect. I think that if you put together a package like that there will be significant reductions in the deficit and debt. There is no reason why we can't reduce the debt by more than the 4 trillion that almost made it into the "grand deal". Its time for all parties to give in, otherwise this country will not survive for my two children.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseOh, Shame, huh? Yeah? Shame the democrats. Sure...
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuseliberal sock puppet
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMy question is how would it be insisted the Senate vote on cut/cap/ and balance? We obviously dont have any pull on Harry Reid, who gets to make that decision.
Many of the people up in arms here were not for cut/cap/ and balance either. They never wanted any bill. They want the bedt celing not to be raised, and that is that. I dont agree with that position, but I understand it.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAgreed -- epic fail.
What a smoking disaster.
Proud to see the South Carolinians on the list of "no" votes:
Trey Gowdy [SC]
Jeff Duncan [SC]
Mick Mulvaney [SC]
Tim Scott [SC]
Joe Wilson [SC]
My question is -- why aren't there more from other states?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDisgusting display of retreat, passivity, and fecklessness on the part of the so-called House GOP leadership. That the Beltway Gang of GOP Insiders including the Senate and that abominable John McCain, are also openly derisive of the Tea Party is simply...utterly craven. This plan is a farce.
Democrats don't ever attack those who support them, no matter how lunatic they are.
Tea Party needs to start recruiting people to primary against the Beltway GOP gang.
Of course, I figured this was the plan two weeks ago.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseEvery single Democrat in the Senate has signed a pledge to kill Boehner's bill, and these idiots have seriously deluded themselves that they're going to "fold like a cheap suit"? Yet another failure by the House GOP cowards, for which they will immediately pay.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDo you believe everything Reid and Schumer say in public? They are desperately afraid of this bill, because Reid needs 60 votes for his bill and he only has 53, at best.
The 47 GOP senators will force HUGE concessions to the Reid bill to make it more like the Boehner bill. All weekend the Democratic Senate will be holding the bag with dysfunctional DEMOCRATIC leadership. And the GOP can go on offense at every turn, blasting Reid, Obama, Schumer and the Democratic senate holding the nation hostage.
As I have said all week, whichever chamber ends up with this LAST will be the LOSER.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHope it will fail.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI wonder what bribes from the public fisc Cryin' John is offering in exchange for yes votes? Is the going rate still 30 pieces of silver?
Win, lose or draw, if the Tea Party Caucus doesn't arise to overthrow the incompetent "leadership" of the House and replace these proven ineffective, feckless, spineless sellouts, then we're doomed as a nation.
With the backing of the vast majority of the public, that they have found themselves out-messaged and boxed-in with a gun to theirs and the nation's heads after the collapses in the Lame Duck and CR processes shows beyond a doubt that they couldn't sell water to a man on fire. PURGE THEM!!!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDump it on the Senate and see what you get. Otherwise the Senate will pass some abomination and there's enough weak willed Repubs to vote for anything with the Dems to push it over the edge.
Politically smart, but yes we're doomed.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDo those voting yes realize the stimulus spending is included in the baseline? That alone will add $9 trillion to the debt over 10 years.
Did I miss something, it seems to me an easy message, you want the debt limit raised, the stimulus spending was supposed to be a one shot deal, cut it out of the baseline and -there you go, done deal. Am I wrong?
great CAPTCHA "helter skelter"
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWe're looking at them as "24 votes."
They're looking at themselves as "the 24th vote."
Interesting to see how this plays out.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThat 24th vote will be costly unfortunately.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWe are also doomed as a nation if conservative districts send back any of these so-called blue dog Democrats, if they all vote no on this.
Guys like Boren in Oklahoma should be defeated and never should be seen again as 'not a typical Democrat'
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse