LATEST: BOEHNER CANCELS VOTE! EARLIER: Pizza Delivery to Boehner’s Office Could Signal an All-Nighter UPDATE: Boehner Yanks Debt-Ceiling Bill at Last Minute! Vote Postponed UPDATE: Sarah Palin Sends Cryptic Message to Republican Freshmen UPDATE: Boehner Now 2 Votes Short?

Posted on | July 28, 2011 | 87 Comments

UPDATE 10:33 p.m. ET: NO VOTE TONIGHT! Boehner couldn’t get enough Republican votes to pass the bill.

UPDATE 10:39 p.m. ET: Chad Pegram of Fox News got the word from GOP Whip Kevin McCarthy at 10:24 p.m. ET.

UPDATE 10:47 p.m. ET: The Hill:

House Republican leaders have postponed indefinitely a vote on Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) debt limit bill after they could not persuade enough Republicans to support the measure.
“No vote tonight,” the third-ranking House Republican, Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), told reporters after leaving Boehner’s office shortly before 10:30 p.m.

The most obvious possible prediction: The Dow Jones Industrial Average will drop at least 200 points Friday.

* * * PREVIOUSLY * * *

UPDATE 9:45 p.m. ET: Jill Jackson of CBS News:

About 2 dozen pizzas were just delivered to Boehner’s office. It’s going to be a long one…

It is at times like this that I say to myself, “Maybe I should’ve stuck with that forklift-driver job I had when I was 25.” Who knows? I might have been loading-dock foreman by now . . .

UPDATE 10:00 p.m. ET: National Journal‘s informal count “showed that 22 House Republicans say they will vote no on the measure, four leaning no, and six undecided,” which would be 26 “no” or leaning “no,” meaning that Boehner is now three votes short of the majority 218 needed for passage.

Nobody ever asks my advice on things like this, but if I was in Boehner’s shoes, I’d say, “Damn the torpedoes: Call the vote!”

It would be better to have the vote and lose it, than to sit around until midnight begging for votes.

And if Boehner loses the vote? Offer his resignation. Immediately.

Because if you can’t get a majority on a key bill like this, your leadership is meaningless.

Call the vote. Win or lose. Go all in, Boehner.

UPDATE 8:15 p.m. ET: Another source on Capitol Hill says they’re currently in “limbo,” expecting to hear by 9 p.m. whether or not there will be a vote tonight. The latest word now is that 25 House Republicans are either “no” votes or leaning toward “no” — which would put Boehner two votes short of a majority for passage.

Getting in touch with my inner cynic, I guess this means that staff are busy putting earmarks into the bill. Somebody’s district is gonna get a new post office or a freeway off-ramp out of this deal, or else an aspiring senator is going to get an extra $20,000 for his 2012 campaign.

UPDATE 9:05 p.m. ET: Still no word on whether they’ll actually have the vote tonight. Moneyrunner comments:

I just watched Special Report with Brett Baier and both Stephen Hayes and Charles Krauthammer – who I admire – are insisting that if Republicans pass the bill that Speaker Boehner crafted they will be in a strong position at the negotiating table.
I have to admit that I need a lot of things explained to me when something is not glaringly obvious but I kept asking: “Why?”

Let me say this: If all you know about what’s happening is what you hear on cable-TV news, you’re probably going to be surprised when you find out — tomorrow, next week, next month — what was actually happening behind the scenes.

Whatever your opinion about this bill, don’t let yourself get worked up into a tizzy by what a bunch of talking heads are saying on TV. They get paid to pretend that we’re on the verge of the Apocalypse. Nobody’s paying you to believe them, so keep your powder dry.

Linked by That Mr. G Guy — thanks!

UPDATE 9:18 p.m. ET: OK, now the word is, they’re going to vote some time tonight, but we don’t know when yet, and it is alleged that they don’t even know whether they’ve got the votes to pass the doggone thing. When they go to a roll-call without a complete whip-count — i.e., the result still anybody’s guess — that’s when the going gets weird, and the weird turn pro.

UPDATE 7:25 p.m. ET: While we wait to find out exactly what’s going to happen tonight — will the House vote on the debt-ceiling bill or not? does Boehner have the votes to pass it? — we have a sort of cryptic message to GOP House freshmen from Sarah Palin:

Today I re-read the open letter I wrote to Republican Freshman Members of Congress in November 2010, just days after they were ushered into office in an historic landslide victory due in large part to the activism of commonsense patriots who are considered part of the Tea Party movement. I respectfully ask these GOP Freshman to re-read this letter and remember us “little people” who believed in them, donated to their campaigns, spent hours tirelessly volunteering for them, and trusted them with our votes. This new wave of public servants may recall that they were sent to D.C. for such a time as this.

What does she mean by that? Dunno. But “for such a time as this” is a quote from the Bible (Esther 4:14). Maybe it’s a code word, the secret Mama Grizzly signal or something.

And “for such a time as this,” my sources on the Hill are supposed to be answering their cell phones. IKWIMAITYD.

Please excuse the non-chronological sequence of the updates tonight, but I suppose that conveys as well as anything what a chaotic whirlwind has descended on Capitol Hill.

UPDATE 7:45 p.m. ET: Politicon links — thanks! — and also links to The Hill‘s whip count, which reports 24 Republican “no” votes. Ace of Spades notes that “some ‘long-standing’ conservative members” are reported among the “no” votes.

Linked by Mangy Redbone Hound — thanks!

UPDATE 6 p.m. ET: House Speaker John Boehner postponed the vote mere minutes before the roll call was scheduled to begin.

UPDATE 6:20 p.m. ET: It’s complete madness on Capitol Hill, folks. One GOP staffer says they got the news about the delay via an e-mail sent out by the Democrat whip team. Meanwhile, they’ve heard nothing from Republican whip, Kevin McCarthy, who is said to be still twisting arms to get votes for the Speaker’s bill.

And here’s the scary thing: McCarthy was the head of the GOP’s “Young Guns” candidate recruitment program in the 2010 mid-terms. There are freshmen who owe McCarthy big-time, so if the vote had to be delayed because he can’t promise 218 . . . Dude.

So it’s a total clusterfark in the GOP caucus at this point, although they still expect to have a vote tonight. But they’re now relying on media reports to tell them what the hell is going on with their own Republican leadership.

UPDATE 6:30 p.m. ET: Just to let you know I’m not kidding you about Republicans having to get information from media reports, one of my best Hill sources e-mailed me Major Garrett’s story from National Journal:

Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, is delaying the House vote on his plan to cut the deficit, Republican and Democratic sources told National Journal on Thursday. Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s office said the vote would still take place later in the evening.
A Democratic source said only that Boehner was pushing back the vote. A senior Republican source said the House speaker, who was facing opposition in his caucus, had “delayed” the vote.
“The vote will be this evening,” said a spokesman for Cantor’s office.

You see what I’m talking about here?

A. Democrats know what Boehner’s doing before Republicans know what Boehner’s doing; and
B. Republicans don’t find out until it’s reported in the media.

Looks like I picked the wrong day to stop sniffing glue.

UPDATE 6:45 p.m. ET: Hot Air’s got the story headlined as “BOEHNERGEDDON” — Allahpundit doing his usual “Link Everybody Except Stacy” round-up — so I’m grateful to Don Surber, Bob Belvedere, The Rhetorican and The Lonely Conservative for their linkage.

If you’re a blogger hoping to get linked at Hot Air, never bother to do any original reporting, because Allah hates bloggers who do reporting.

PREVIOUSLY (5:05 p.m. ET): (Original headline was “BREAKING: House Roll Call on Boehner Bill Expected to Begin at 5:45 p.m. ET”)

So says my source on Capitol Hill. Love it or hate it, House GOP leaders are twisting every arm to pass it. We’ll have complete updated coverage here, of course, but I wanted to share this video of Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.) announcing her support of the bill:

Few freshmen in Congress can rival Ellmers’s credentials as the total Tea Party conservative, so her support of the bill is highly significant.

BTW, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped another 61 points today. I blame Harry Reid.

UPDATE 5:45 p.m. ET (Smitty): Via iOwnTheWorld, Priceless Princess Pelosi:

“What we’re trying to do is save the world from the Republican budget. We’re trying to save life on this planet as we know it today.”

Thanks, lady. Had you condescended to budget when you were running matters, your remarks wouldn’t resemble something the World’s Youngest Blogger just did.

Category: Budget, Congress, Harry Reid, Renee Ellmers, Tea Party

Comments

87 Responses to “LATEST: BOEHNER CANCELS VOTE! EARLIER: Pizza Delivery to Boehner’s Office Could Signal an All-Nighter UPDATE: Boehner Yanks Debt-Ceiling Bill at Last Minute! Vote Postponed UPDATE: Sarah Palin Sends Cryptic Message to Republican Freshmen UPDATE: Boehner Now 2 Votes Short?”

Joe
July 28th, 2011 @ 9:11 pm

DISAPPOINTED!

Yeah, I know RINOs like Thomas Sowell are saying Boehner’s plan is okay. I would have preferred they tried to pass CC&B again and then (when the Dems rejected it) yell from Congress and a press conference that Obama-Reid-Pelosi HATE America.

Who knows, the GOP passes this and those stupid idiot Dems might still reject it. Let’s hope for small miracles.
smitty
July 28th, 2011 @ 9:18 pm

Sowell? RINO? Really? Guess I’m beat.
BREAKING NEWS: House Vote at 5:45 PM On Boehner Bill – Tea Party Fav Ellmers To Vote ‘Yeah’ « The Camp Of The Saints
July 28th, 2011 @ 5:27 pm

[…] Stacy McCain has all the details here. […]
Anonymous
July 28th, 2011 @ 9:34 pm

If the Dems reject it then it will be their fault if we default. Obama and Dems will have chosen partisan politics over Grandma and Grandpa. That will be more proof that Obama & Co are unfriendly and/or disdainful toward America.

Thomas Sowell is not a RINO. Maybe a realist but not a RINO.
Joe
July 28th, 2011 @ 9:36 pm

I was being faceticious Smitty! But I am sure you are beat! How are Bitty Smitty and Mama Smitty doing?
House to Vote on Boehner Bill | The Lonely Conservative
July 28th, 2011 @ 5:36 pm

[…] to Vote on Boehner BillJuly 28, 2011 By Lonely Conservative No comments yetAccording to The Other McCain, the House will be voting on Speaker Boehner’s debt reduction bill at 5:45 PM ET. At the link […]
smitty
July 28th, 2011 @ 9:44 pm

Both unconscious at the moment, hence the fact that I’m knocking about online.
Bob Belvedere
July 28th, 2011 @ 9:45 pm

Have you gotten any rest, Daddy-O?
Joe
July 28th, 2011 @ 9:46 pm

Teresamerica, it was a joke about Sowell.

Facetious:
1
: joking or jesting often inappropriately : waggish
2: meant to be humorous or funny : not serious
— fa·ce·tious·ly adverb
— fa·ce·tious·ness noun
Joe
July 28th, 2011 @ 9:49 pm

I respect Dr. Sowell very much.

But I was not kidding about being disappointed in the Boeher plan. I think they should have drawn the line in the sand on CC&B, but it looks likely Dems will reject this too. But 101 on negotiation is you generally never get more than your lowest offer. Lowering the bar to CC&B is a mistake (in my opinion).
Bob Belvedere
July 28th, 2011 @ 9:51 pm

C-SPAN is reporting that the House vote has been postponed – no reason given.
Dave C
July 28th, 2011 @ 9:55 pm

I’m halfway of the opinion that Obama wants the nation to default.
Joe
July 28th, 2011 @ 9:55 pm

The reason is Boehner does not have the votes and is trying to get them.
Anonymous
July 28th, 2011 @ 9:58 pm

Got ya. My bad.
Anonymous
July 28th, 2011 @ 9:59 pm

Just one suggestion – when mixing serious comment with a sarcastic one maybe a heads up?
Anonymous
July 28th, 2011 @ 10:00 pm

Me too
The Other McCain will be aggregating the Boehner Bill vote like a MoFo « The Rhetorican
July 28th, 2011 @ 6:02 pm

[…] Other McCain will be aggregating the Boehner Bill vote like a MoFoThe Other McCain will be aggregating the Boehner Bill vote coverage like a […]
Joe
July 28th, 2011 @ 10:03 pm

Bob, completely off topic (we are waiting to see if Boehner gets those votes), but why would anyone put tiny cameras in these two young ladies’ apartment?
Joe
July 28th, 2011 @ 10:07 pm

To be fair, it was a bit dry.
Joe
July 28th, 2011 @ 10:09 pm

What Obama wants is to kick debt ceilings beyond November 2012, or alternatively, not to let the political opporunity of a default to go to waste.
Bob Belvedere
July 28th, 2011 @ 10:19 pm

Perv.
Boehner does not have the votes « Don Surber
July 28th, 2011 @ 6:20 pm

[…] The video is at his site. […]
Bob Belvedere
July 28th, 2011 @ 10:23 pm

The Stupid Party in the House can’t even get a simple vote right.

What a bunch of dickheaads.
Ladd Ehlinger Jr.
July 28th, 2011 @ 10:30 pm

Remind me again what Kevin McCarthy’s Young Guns program actually “did” for anyone, besides get McCarthy on television with Sean Hannity to try and sell copies of that stupid book? Mostly, it screwed a lot of candidates in his own back yard (California).
Dave C
July 29th, 2011 @ 12:15 am

The Tea Party did more to get Republicans elected to Congress than anything McCarthy did, that’s for sure.
Quartermaster
July 29th, 2011 @ 12:15 am

I don’t think Palin’s note is at all cryptic. Those who know, understand quite well what she is talking about. Allen West has strayed from the Reservation on this one.
Dave C
July 29th, 2011 @ 12:15 am

Well, that’s the end of that side project..
steveegg
July 29th, 2011 @ 12:35 am

we have a sort of cryptic message to GOP House freshmen from Sarah Palin

As Jim Geraghty said – it’s about as cryptic as a horse’s head on a bed.
GOP Staffers Sneaking Pork Into Debt Ceiling Vote? « That Mr. G Guy's Blog
July 28th, 2011 @ 8:48 pm

[…] UPDATE: Boehner Yanks Debt-Ceiling Bill at Last Minute! Vote Postponed UPDATE: Sarah Palin Sends Cry…. […]
AngelaTC
July 29th, 2011 @ 1:05 am

Ugh – They’re going after Joe Walsh (IL) now. Anybody who paid attention already knew he had personal financial trouble, so I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that they’re breaking the story now. ( Let that be a warning to those other Tea Party types, right?)
Boehner Smokers » Goodizen.com
July 28th, 2011 @ 9:08 pm

[…] Boehner related stories: – theothermccain.com July 28th, 2011 01:05 PM EDT UPDATE: Boehner Yanks Debt-Ceiling Bill at Last Minute! Vote Postponed UPDATE 6:20 p.m. ET Its complete madness on Capitol Hill, folks. One GOP staffer says they got the […]
ThePaganTemple
July 29th, 2011 @ 1:15 am

What Obama wants is to kick debt ceilings beyond November 2012

So the hell do I. He owns this lousy damn economy, we’ve got that and plenty more besides to beat him with in the election. We aren’t going to beat him with this issue, which at the very very best would be a distraction. But the way things are looking, the GOP is bound and determined to take ownership of Obama’s shitty economy. What’s worse-this is going to lead to people demanding MORE, not less, government control. It’s insane.
Jody Green
July 29th, 2011 @ 1:17 am

I am still confused on this whole process. The House passed Cut, Cap and balance and the Senate passed a voice vote that killed it in the Senate. Can someone tell me why the Republicans did not say, this is our plan and Senate, pass your alternative. If the Senate could pass a plan with 46 Republicans voting against, then we start bi-partisan reconciliation between the two plans. Instead, we are trying to pass a weaker bill to reconcile against a non-passed bill in the Senate. What am I missing?
ThePaganTemple
July 29th, 2011 @ 1:20 am

Its not very often that I disagree with her but I do now.
Dave C
July 29th, 2011 @ 1:25 am

Any bills relating to the budget needs to start in the House..

Legally, the Senate can’t pass anything budgetary items first..

the Senate can hand off their bill to the House first then they can vote for it though.

But most of this is my high school civics class so it may be a bit fuzzy and textbookish.. Can someone else fill in anything I missed?
Anonymous
July 29th, 2011 @ 1:32 am

Rand Paul was just on Hannity talking about how the traditional legislative process seems to have been abandoned in the Obama Age.
ThePaganTemple
July 29th, 2011 @ 1:35 am

Allen West is from a state that will be hit especially hard by a rise in interest rates. Plus he understands the tactical wisdom of the GOP passing a bill and leaving the onus on the Democrats to pass it or not.
Jody Green
July 29th, 2011 @ 1:42 am

I just saw that and as Sean mentioned, it is very strange that the day that CCB passed, the gang of six came out with a fake compromise (Was not even related to this battle) and the President went on TV to attack the Republicans. Seems that CCB hit a nerve that they knew they had not counter. Right around that time, Oreily attacked the Tea Party as crazies for thinking this could pass. We lost the opportunity of a lifetime and the Whitehouse is saying “Damn, that was close”.
Dave C
July 29th, 2011 @ 1:50 am

The words of Alcee Hastings are echoing in my mind: “We make it up, as we go along. . .”
CalMark
July 29th, 2011 @ 2:39 am

Boehner is a juvenile; his lust to be Speaker founded not on ideas or agenda, but pure personal venality. He’s like a little boy on Christmas morning, dancing around the tree, singing “I get to be Speaker! I get to be Speaker!”

You can’t expect a juvenile like that–with a long history of surrender and cowardice–to behave with anything like honor or integrity.

DUMP BOEHNER! DUMP BOEHNER! DUMP BOEHNER!
CalMark
July 29th, 2011 @ 2:41 am

Obama wants his phony-baloney “deadline” to come and go so he can “invoke” a false interpretation of the 14th Amendment.

Taking charge of a key power reserved for Congress would be his first large step toward becoming dictator. We all know that is really what he wants.
Rob Guitanguran
July 29th, 2011 @ 2:44 am

When no amount of ‘whipping’ or arm twisting can get you the votes, it’s a sure sign you’re up against people of principle that can’t be paid off to betray their constituents.

Mr. Speaker, I wouldn’t have your job for all the tea in China, but it is the job you wanted. Give Obama and the Senate Cut, Cap and Balance. Then, be done with them and tell the American people over and over and over again until they get it.
KG
July 29th, 2011 @ 3:03 am

Many conservatives have shown themselves willing to ignore principle in reaction to political pandering ala Obama’s credit downgrade threat.
Jody Green
July 29th, 2011 @ 3:07 am

Agree. I thought it was too late for this but maybe not after they can’t pass the latest bill. CCB, CCB, CCB and if the Dems have a comprimise, put it in writing or negotiate. How dare the Dems put us on the brink of default!
KG
July 29th, 2011 @ 3:12 am

Isn’t that what they did with CCB? So, the GOP needs to keep passing bills and leaving the onuses to the Dems, but each time they do, they have to pare away the cuts and other things Dems hate.

This is what a lot of commenters at Ace’s were pretty much arguing for, but I fail to see how that is any better than no plan.
Anamika
July 29th, 2011 @ 3:16 am

Ain’t it fun?
Dave C
July 29th, 2011 @ 3:30 am

The comments going back and forth at Spades are brutal..

All day long.. It’s the TP conservatives vs. the (near as I can tell) resentful Republicans..

I keep going back in my mind that if it wasn’t for the Tea Party, most of them wouldn’t be there today.
RD
July 29th, 2011 @ 3:33 am

Good Grief Stacy. Sarah’s “PS” said it all: “P.S. Everyone I talk to still believes in contested primaries.” That was a direct threat to the Tea Party elected freshman Congress[people]. Hold the freeking line. I don’t care what Boehner wants. If we have to throw this country into default, so be it! I will still wake up the morning after, smell the roses and go to work. If that job doesn’t hold up, I’ll find another one or take up gardening!
Anonymous
July 29th, 2011 @ 3:34 am

Internecine ideological warfare doesn’t interest me at this point. At this point, I’m covering this story like it was a football game. All I want is a final score to report.
RD
July 29th, 2011 @ 3:38 am

Don’t forget the power of the demo[crats]nic ones to craft any number of reasons to blame EVERYTHING on the Republicans. The point is this: do the right thing. This Boehner bill is bad, bad, bad. Why should any Tea Party elected Representative vote for it? I like Thomas Sowell, but he’s living in his ivory tower writing stuff. He’s not out here where it matters. Has he ever attended a Tea Party event? I doubt it!