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Where are we?

Where are we?

Thanks to Katie for helping out this afternoon with updates, as I was traveling.

I’ve heard bits and pieces, and posted last night the tentative deal.  Apparently there will not be any vote tonight, which is a good thing to me because we should get to see what’s in the bill before we pass it.

Where are we?

What do you make of this:

But conservatives, including members of the Tea Party Caucus, say they do not plan to blow up the floor proceedings in protest of a deal that does not include passage of a balanced budget amendment.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), a member of the Senate Tea Party Caucus, said he would insist that any compromise receive at least 60 votes on the Senate floor but not drag out the process to delay an agreement beyond Tuesday.

“I don’t see any reason for not agreeing to an advanced time table,” Lee said. “A 60-vote threshold is one thing but there’s no reason to run the clock out any more.”

 

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Comments

Fair Enough.

I’m an independent voter and I support a balanced budget amendent, and I understand that something that significant to the Consitution will require debate etc so it should not be rushed through.
I remember being so pissed when Pelosi and her idiotic caucus rammed through that awful ObamaCare bill and crammed it down on America.
I do not want that for an amendent, but I want assurances that there will be debate and then a vote on it.
Not 5 yrs from now, but within the next election cycle.

And so, I agree with Mike Lee, I am very proud of the TP for changing the conservation and making people aware of the dire financial circumstances this country finds itself in. So, they should vote for this, if some changes need to be made fine.
This is still only slightly cutting the rate of growth of govt, this is not actually cutting any spending at all. So if more alterations need to be made fine.

But with respect to the Bal. budget amendent, it should not be rushed through, but there have to be assurances that that debate and vote will happen very soon in the near future.

    WarEagle82 in reply to alex. | July 31, 2011 at 8:43 pm

    “But with respect to the Bal. budget amendent, it should not be rushed through, but there have to be assurances that that debate and vote will happen very soon in the near future.”

    Exactly when would be the best time to “rush through” a balanced budget amendment? When the debt hits 110% of GDP? 120%? Or when people start rioting in the streets like Greece?

    Heaven forbid we should fix the problem of massive, uncontrolled federal spending…

Re “What do you make of this”

It makes me a bit nervous that the Tea Party is considering caving in on a balanced budget amendment.

Correction: it makes me very nervous!

It is NEVER the RIGHT TIME to DO THE RIGHT THING.

That must be the GOP motto…

“It makes me a bit nervous that the Tea Party is considering caving in on a balanced budget amendment.”

It should be tied to the next raising of the debt ceiling, within 6 months, that gives plenty of time to debate it and vote on it, and bring more attention, momemtum behind it.

Did we just learn that the Tea Party is willing to stand up to the GOP, but not the Democrats? That’s a sure fire way to get what they want…

I am grateful to the Tea Party for the good things they have done for the country. They have had more success at framing the debate than I expected (though less than they wished). I wish them even greater success in the future.

But, as far as their relationship with the GOP goes, this is probably a moment to heed Benjamin Disraeli: Damn your principles! Stick to your party.

I too want to see a balance budget amendment passed and then adopted by the states. However, it’s critically important that the wording of this amendment be carefully crafted to ensure that our federal budgets do become balance against revenues.

The wording of some previous amendments have been interpreted differently and while a plain language amendment might be difficult to craft, that effort should be made.

So, go for it and get it right for a change!