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BREAKING NEWS Thursday, October 10, 2013 10:36 AM EDT

House Republicans Discuss Plan for Short-Term Increase in Debt Ceiling

House Republicans gathered Thursday morning to discuss a plan to lift the government’s statutory borrowing limit temporarily to allow for negotiations on a package of deficit reduction and tax reform proposals that could lead to a reopening of the government and an end to the threat of government default.

House Republican leaders jumped on the plan, presented on Wednesday by Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, chairman of the House Budget Committee. Meantime, a group of Republican senators has begun meeting with Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, to find a bipartisan solution to the twin fiscal impasses.

The senators are examining a year-long resolution funding the government at levels that reflect automatic spending cuts known as sequestration, but with added flexibility to help government agencies and departments deal with the tight budgets. The debt ceiling would also be raised.

READ MORE http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/11/us/politics/debt-limit-debate.html?emc=edit_na_20131010

This appears to be the same “Paul Ryan Proposal” that has the far right calling for a third party.

Paul Ryan’s Debt Limit Proposals Divide GOP Lawmakers

Ryan laid out a plan in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that included reforming Medicare and simplifying the tax code. None of his proposals dealt with Obamacare, however, which put off some hardline conservatives who demand defunding or delaying the health care law as part of any deal with Democrats.

After meeting with Ryan and the conservative Republican Study Committee, the group’s leader Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) stood firm and said he wouldn’t accept a package of proposals that fails to address Obamacare as part of “mandatory spending,” according to the New York Times.

Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL), a staunch opponent of the health care law, showed more flexibility after meeting with Ryan.

“My primary focus is on minimizing risk of insolvency and bankruptcy. There are many paths you can take to get there,” he said, as quoted by the Times.



12:00pm Eastern, Thursday 10/10/2013

– House GOP Will Propose Temporary Debt Ceiling Increase

“What we have discussed as a conference is a temporary extension of the debt ceiling,” Speaker John Boehner told reporters, “in exchange for a real commitment by this president and the Senate majority leader to sit down and talk about the pressing problems that are facing all the American people, and that includes a broad array of issues.”

– House Republicans from the teaparty caucus admit that breaching the debt ceiling would be bad.

After news broke that House Republicans would be discussing a six-week debt limit increase plan Bachmann, the Tea Party favorite, suggested that she could support the deal. The plan reportedly does not include a provision that would end the government shutdown.

“Well I think if that gets us to where we need to be, it may be something we need to consider, because the one thing we won’t do is put the full faith and credit of the United States at risk,” Bachmann said according to Roll Call. “It’s foolish, and I don’t think that’s going to happen.”


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27 comments

  5. JanF

    NRCC Launches Web Ads Targeting 6 House Dems For Funding Votes

    Online banner ads point out that Reps. John Barrow (D-GA), Tim Bishop (D-NY), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Bill Enyart (D-IL), Collin Peterson (D-MN) and Nick Rahall (D-WV) voted against funding for programs like veterans benefits and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infant and Children.

    It took a lot of political courage for House Democrats to stick with their leadership knowing full well that their votes, which were votes against the piecemeal budget approach — not the programs, would be used against them.

  6. princesspat

    How the government shutdown could end tomorrow

    All it would take is for Republican House Speaker John Boehner to allow a single vote.

    One vote – on a bill that is sitting in the House of Representatives, that the Senate has already passed and that continues funding the government at levels that Republicans and Democrats already negotiated – and this embarrassing episode would be brought to a close.

    It’s that simple.

    ~snip~

    It’s time for the days of a tiny political faction holding the entire nation back from addressing the much larger challenges we face to come to an end. And the only thing that stands in the way of that, and ending this shutdown, is Speaker Boehner allowing a single vote.

    But the stand off continues….

    Steve Bennen, at The Maddow Blog

    Boehner wants to keep one hostage, briefly let the other go

    The Democratic appeal to Republicans can basically be summarized in a few words: Just do your job. The government needs to be funded, so fund it — without strings attached or a series of demands. The debt ceiling needs to be raised, so raise it — without demanding treats or taking hostages. At that point, the parties can enter negotiations on just about anything and everything.

    But the GOP’s new “offer” is predicated on the same assumptions as the other “offers”: Republicans won’t talk unless the threat of deliberate harm hangs over the discussion. It’s effectively become the GOP’s prerequisite to every process: only plans involving hostages will be considered.

    So the R’s temper tantrum continues…..will they ever turn blue?

  7. princesspat

    Congress Must Stop Using Default as a Weapon

    Enough venting. The bottom line here is that we need some kind of agreement that will reopen the government and stop a downward spiral that uses default as a genuine and frightening political weapon. Realistically, qua Negotiation 101, it must provide the president, the speaker, and the Senate majority leader with the ability to declare victory or at least to avoid the perception of utter defeat. The two houses, two parties, and the president will still have to deal with one another on a myriad of issues for the next 40 months.

    Negotiation now requires a cooling-off period-a clean extension of the debt ceiling, and a temporary CR. Then a reopening of the government for the year, with the understanding that a new commission will be established to discuss big long-term debt issues, is feasible.

    But any concession by the president that is tied to a short-term CR or a short-term extension of the debt ceiling would be disastrous. Basic functions of government and the full faith and credit of the U.S. would become regular instruments of extortion in the future, resulting in periodic displays of American dysfunction and incompetence to the world, with serious economic consequences. But a concession on a different agenda-to take the debt ceiling permanently off the table as a hostage-is well worth it. What Obama needs to offer now is a proposal to make permanent 2011’s onetime “McConnell Rule.” Under that procedure, devised by the minority leader, the president could unilaterally raise the debt limit and Congress could have the option of blocking it by way of a resolution of disapproval. The president, in turn, could veto the resolution of disapproval; a vote of two-thirds of both houses would be required to override the veto.

    In return for that action, if the president agreed to remove the tax on medical devices (and replace it with another source of revenue to help fund Obamacare), or agreed to some additional malpractice reform-neither action hitting at any essential core parts of the health care law-it would be a win-win. If, in addition, Boehner simply accepted yes for an answer on reopening the government, attaining the Ryan budget numbers, we could all move past this embarrassing crisis. At that point, maybe we could craft a process that manages the budget process in a less destructive way.

    The way out of this crisis is clear, the R’s will to do so is incomprehensible. Governing is for grownups!

  8. Portlaw

    any concession by the president that is tied to a short-term CR or a short-term extension of the debt ceiling

  10. Portlaw

    them with our encouragement in this battle with hijackers.  Am about to write the White House, my two senators and my congresswoman to tell them not to give in.

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