Senator DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D - California), on the torturous debt negotiation process.
Thanks, Jimmy Dean.
Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, said Sunday morning that he was “very close” to recommending to his members that they sign on to a debt deal with President Obama and the Democrats.
Speaking on the CNN program “State of the Union,” Mr. McConnell said the deal included as much as $3 trillion in cuts over the next 10 years, with much of that decided later this year by a joint congressional committee.
“What conservatives want to do is cut spending,” he said. “We’ve come a long way. This agreement is likely to encompass up to $3 trillion is spending cuts.”
In addition, Mr. McConnell said the agreement would allow votes in Congress on a balanced budget amendment.
Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York, a top Democrat in the Senate, cautioned on the same program that “there is no final agreement. No one has signed off on a final agreement.”
But he indicated the he and others were expressing optimism because of the ongoing discussions between the congressional leaders.
“If there is a word that would sum up the mood it would be relief,” he said. “Relief that we won’t default.”
The New York Times, “McConnell Sees Debt Deal ‘Very Close,’ Focus Is On Triggers for Cuts.”
Today, “progress” is partly defined by how slowly we get there.
Senate Majority Leader HARRY REID (D - NV), on the Senate floor, reacting to reports that debt talks had “moved forward” and were “close.”
Jesus H. Christ.
Jeff Parker / Florida Today
(via Cagle Cartoons)
House Republicans muscled through a revised debt limit plan without a single Democratic vote on Friday night and the Senate quickly killed it by tabling the bill indefinitely and moving to start consideration of a Democratic plan to avoid default.
The move now sets up an uncertain 72 hours as the Congress moves ever closer to the Tuesday deadline when the Treasury Department says the country will default on its financial obligations without an increase in the debt ceiling.
Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, said he intends to start the legislative clock ticking on Friday on a new plan to raise the debt ceiling, though it was also possible to allow time for negotiation.
The two votes came about 24 hours after the first Republican proposal backed by Speaker John A. Boehner stalled. On Friday, the House voted 218 to 210 in favor of a revised plan that would increase the federal debt ceiling in two stages, with the second installment of $1.6 trillion contingent on Congressional approval of a Constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget. The Constitutional amendment provision was added to attract conservatives who balked Thursday.
(Updated with story link.)
OMG, I hope the President doesn’t say something we haven’t heard before!
“Good morning. We’re gonna default. Default default default. Default? Default. Default default, default! Republicans, stop being difficult. Because default is difficult. Difficult default is difficult. Default is definitely difficult. Ani DiFranco default is definitely difficult. Es deficil! Default that is. So, to sum up: don’t debate difficulty of defibrillating defaming defanging debilitating deballing desecrating D’Angelo DePalma deRossi DeGrassi Junior High default.”
“Hmm. Guess mine wasn’t bigger after all.”
From a Facebook post by GOP nobody SARAH PALIN; just hours later, House Speaker John Boehner was forced to delay a vote on the GOP’s debt reduction plan.
As the New York Times puts it, “There is no proof that Ms. Palin’s online missive was even read by any of the wavering Republicans or played any role in helping to stir up the sheep in Mr. Boehner’s flock. But the former Alaska governor is very good at capturing media attention when she wants it. And refusing to go along with what the establishment — especially the Republican establishment — wants is one of the ways she does it.”
This scumbag doesn’t hold elected office; she’s a stupid idiot; and she’s too scared to say whether or not she’ll run for president. And yet elemnets of the Republican party are too scared to stand up to this bespectacled sideline bully.
House Speaker JOHN BOEHNER (R - Ohio), issuing an ultimatum to House Republicans to support his debt reduction bill.
Nothing like a rapidly-approaching deadline that it really shouldn’t have gotten down to to act as incentive.
Ass said “ass.”
The legislative maneuvering played out against a backdrop of public outrage, as the Capitol switchboard became jammed and visitors swamped congressional Web sites, apparently heeding a call Obama made Monday in a prime-time national address for Americans to contact their representatives in Congress.
At the height of the deluge, the Capitol was receiving 40,000 calls per hour — twice as many as normal. Some people encouraged lawmakers to stand firm, others demanded a resolution to the weeks-long stalemate that threatens to undermine the sputtering U.S. recovery and damage the nation’s global standing. Still others were simply worried that the impasse could prevent their Social Security checks from arriving on time.
Kate Cyrul, a spokeswoman for Sen. Tom Harkin, said the Iowa Democrat’s office had received more than 700 e-mails and letters overnight, the majority of which “expressed frustration with the debt process and said that we should reach a compromise.”
