See UPDATES at the bottom of this post.
There have been some new developments today as the negotiations on the shutdown and debt limit continue. The big one is that the House GOP is now charting a separate fiscal course as the Senate nears a deal.
Some of the details of what’s said to be in the House proposal, from CNN:
According to GOP sources and confirmed by Republican Rep. Darrell Issa of California, the House plan would include most of what is in the Senate agreement while adding a provision to suspend an Obamacare tax on medical devices for two years and remove federal health care subsidies for Obama and legislators when they obtain health coverage under the reforms.
In addition, the House proposal would forbid the Treasury from taking what it calls extraordinary measures to prevent the government from defaulting as cash runs low, in effect requiring hard deadlines to extend the federal debt ceiling.
Not surprisingly, that’s all ruffling a lot of feathers.
Pelosi: "What you saw here…was a Speaker who didn't have the votes for his proposal"
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) October 15, 2013
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) says R's want to "snatch confrontation from the jaws of reasonable agreement"
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 15, 2013
Reid: Extremists in the House are attempting to torpedo progress in the Senate
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 15, 2013
Hoyer: The (R's) met this morning, after a number of them talked to Ted Cruz and said no, it wasn't good enough.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 15, 2013
The White House swiftly rejected the House proposal, and Obama and VP Biden are supposed to meet with House Democratic leaders today at 3:15pm.
House Speaker John Boehner wouldn’t give much detail but said earlier, “We’re talking with our members on both sides of the aisle to try to find a way to move forward today.”
Stay tuned, we’ll continue to post updates as things develop.
UPDATED 10/15 7:50pm ET:
There may be some movement tonight:
#Breaking RT @mkraju: Reid and McConnell reopen talks, sources say. Deal close. Process could begin in Senate tonight.
— POLITICO (@politico) October 15, 2013
Reuters: "US Senate Leaders Could Announce Deal Within Hours…"
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) October 15, 2013
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Comments
Looking at the House “leadership”, these guys just make you feel sick. Spineless, cowardly, weak, careless of the public trust, disrespecting of the Constitution, foolish, vain, good for nothing except being primaried and voted out.
The Senate is no better.
The Senate is WORSE.
“According to GOP sources and confirmed by Republican Rep. Darrell Issa of California, the House plan would include most of what is in the Senate agreement while adding a provision to suspend an Obamacare tax on medical devices for two years and remove federal health care subsidies for Obama and legislators when they obtain health coverage under the reforms.”
Or in simpler terms, abject surrender.
The Republicans might just be saved though as it appears the Democrats have decided to run up the black flag.
Making an offer which they KNOW the Dems will reject is perfectly safe. No surrender involved.
My suggestion – keep the focus on Obamacare for now.
Pass a budget for the rest of the government, except for Obamacare.
Pass a 3 month increase to the debt limit…and go home.
It is up to Reid/Obama to accept an increase to the debt limit…or “default”. It is also up to Reid/Obama to keep the government closed or not.
And the absolute last thing to do is make Obamacare better by getting rid of the medical device tax.
Hell, cut ads that Obama doesn’t want to open the government because Obama wants to make Grandma pay more for her wheelchair…
Boehner doesn’t have the balls for that, not even with the bottle to give him false courage.
Please explain what this means: “In addition, the House proposal would forbid the Treasury from taking what it calls extraordinary measures to prevent the government from defaulting as cash runs low, in effect requiring hard deadlines to extend the federal debt ceiling.”
I have heard people I respect say that, when you compare the monthly of the payment due on the national debt with the amount of the monthly income of the federal government there is no way to justify a default and that if Obama chooses to default, he is committing an impeachable offense (14th amendment, sec 4?). What is the truth and if this is true why is everyone, including Fox, going along with the politicians who only want ‘we the people” to but out.
The Treasury is taking in over $100 billion a month while interest payments are about $20 billion.
Only a spend-thrift would be hard pressed to avoid a default.
.. Oh .. Obama is a spend-thrift
The government borrows money by selling bonds to investors. When a bond matures, the government is obligated to pay the investor the value of the bond plus some specified interest. Failure to pay investors back is what a normal person means when he says “default”. This default would be a serious matter as it would put the US government’s credit rating in the toilet. To borrow more money (that is, sell more bonds) it would then have to offer much higher interest to attract investors; without high interest, investors would avoid high-risk bonds.
The money needed to pay off bonds as they mature averages a fraction of normal federal expenditures; right now, maybe a quarter, maybe a tenth, depending on how you calculate it. But in any case the government has more than enough money to pay off maturing bonds. In sensible hands, there would be no danger of federal default at this time.
However, Obama uses the word “default” in an abnormal way. He means failure by the government to pay ANY bill, not just maturing bonds. This is deceptive. Although the danger of this sort of “default” is high, it’s not very important. Failure to pay for those free cell phones for Dem voters, say, would have no effect whatever on the bond market, and would not force the government to pay high interest rates on future bond sales.
Thanks.
I’M LUVIN’ THIS GOVERNMENT SHUT-DOWN!!!!!
Can we make it permanent and year-round?!!!!
The government slimdown has cut spending by 17% – the single best effort in reducing government since the end of WWII I believe.
As such, indeed, let’s keep it this way.
When they get back to the un-serious, perhaps the “Anacostia Deficits” would be better than “Washington Redskins” (composed of two pejoratives, I’m told).
Besides, in DC, except for Ted Cruz, everybody loves a deficit.
mmm… House Leadership. That’s an oxymoron.
They would have us believe they are between a Tea Party Rock and A Democrat Hard Place.
Do your job and stop being afraid of stompy foot name-calling Democrats. They will hate you regardless of what happens… so let them hate you for standing up for the country else we will primary in those who will.
The Repubs do not eant to stand up and they have no principles or scruples to stand on. The two parties have been playing Good Cop/Bad Cop all the while tacking toward the goal: Communist USA.
There are not enough guts in the entire GOP establishment and leadership to string a cheap tennis racket.
Sad. Politicians won’t fight for anything but their own self-interests. Ideologues, however, will fight like hell to get their way. I think the GOP needs some true conservative ideologues. That is why the Left prevails: ideologues.
I also heard that the Senate leadership will force Cruz and Lee to write 1000-times:
I promise not to rock the Party boat by invoking the Constitution or going against my Leadership or senior Senators of my own party.
Marlin Stutzman was forced out of his leadership position because he bucked the Establishment GOP by suggesting that they separate the Farm Bill and the Food Stamp Program.
http://www.wishtv.com/news/indiana/ind-rep-stutzman-loses-house-position-over-vote_51384969
“Stutzman was removed as an assistant whip for congressional Republicans because he opposed the GOP’s limits on what farm bill amendments would be debated. Stutzman tells The Journal Gazette he knew that he could lose the position by voting against the leadership team’s position.”
Well sounds like the senate “deal” surrender effort by Republicans has failed. Pass a three to six month debt ceiling deal and go home House Republicans!