Boehner Debt-Ceiling Bill Barely Passes House 218-210; 22 GOP ‘No’ Votes

Posted on | July 29, 2011 | 43 Comments

We’ll have the roll-call and other news momentarily.

The House of Representatives on Friday approved a plan for a short-term increase in the debt ceiling and cuts in spending, ending a week of intense fighting among Republicans and shifting the end game of the debate to the Senate.
The vote was 218-210, leaving House Speaker John A. Boehner with 20 Republicans who were unwilling to support his efforts to get a bill approved.
Urging passage for the bill, an emotional Mr. Boehner angrily accused President Obama and his Democratic allies of negotiating in bad faith for weeks and called the bill the only way to “end this crisis now.”
“All they would do was criticize what I put out there,” Mr. Boehner said, his voice rising during a rare appearance on the floor. “I stuck my neck out a mile to get an agreement with the president of the United States. I stuck my neck out a mile. I put revenues on the table.”
He added: “A lot of people in this town can never say yes.”

UPDATE II: Video of Boehner’s speech:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

UPDATE III: Need a good laugh? While accusing Republicans of hostage-taking, White House press secretary Jay Carney expresses concern that “the economy has suffered”:

Where was Jay Carney’s concern for the economy while his boss, Obama, was wrecking the economy?

UPDATE IV: The 22 House Republicans who voted “no”:

Justin Amash (Mich.)
Michele Bachmann (Minn.)
Chip Cravaack (Minn.)
Scott Desjarlais (Tenn.)
Tom Graves (Ga.)
Tim Huelskamp (Kans.)
Steve King (Iowa)
Tim Johnson (Ill.)
Tom McClintock (Calif.)
Mick Mulvaney (S.C.)
Ron Paul (Texas)
Tom Price (Ga.)
Connie Mack (Fla.)
Jim Jordan (Ohio)
Tim Scott (S.C.)
Paul Broun (Ga.)
Tom Latham (Iowa)
Jeff Duncan (S.C.)
Trey Gowdy (S.C.)
Steve Southerland (Fla.)
Joe Walsh (Ill.)
Joe Wilson (S.C.)

(Hat-tip: Politicons.)

UPDATE V: Statement from freshman GOP Rep. Chip Cravaack, explaining his “no” vote on the Boehner bill:

Last week, I voted in favor of the only solution to our nation’s spending spiral to achieve long-term fiscal sustainability – the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act of 2011. We must be responsible now. This includes savings to projected budget levels, enforceable spending controls, and a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution to avert a debt crisis, national default, and credit rating downgrade.
This evening, I could not in good conscience support the Budget Control Act considered by the House because the numbers simply don’t add up. The legislation would enable our nation to continue borrowing on an unsustainable course without the savings it desperately needs, the spending controls to prevent a U.S. credit downgrade, or the guarantee of a Balanced Budget Amendment to ensure prosperity for future Americans.
Last November, I told my constituents in the 8th District that I’m a numbers guy. I gave them my promise and my word that “if the numbers don’t add up, I’m not voting for it.” My constituents know me as a man of principle, and the bill considered by the House tonight is a bad bill that does little to thwart our abysmal economic trajectory.
I applaud the bill’s defense of American working families and job creators and look forward to working with my House colleagues in the coming days to determine a path forward. I urge the House and the Senate to act judiciously in our national interest.

UPDATE VI: Statement from Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) explaining his “no” vote:

I cannot in good conscience vote for a bill that puts the future of my grandchildren and of generations to come in jeopardy. While I respect my Republican colleagues’ efforts to come up with a compromise, the people in the 10th Congressional District of Georgia did not send me to Washington to follow the herd. They sent me here to protect their liberty and to fundamentally change the way our federal government spends their money. I do support a Balanced Budget Amendment, but I do not support raising the debt ceiling and allowing President Obama to put more debt on the backs of the American people. Congress needs to first acknowledge that we have lost all control of our fiscal house, and then we need to focus on finding a real solution for paying down the national debt.

UPDATE VII: Freshman Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.) explains her “yes” vote on the Boehner bill:

This evening, the House made history by successfully passing the Balanced Budget Act of 2011. This bill, which I am proud to support, is a fiscally sound solution to put an end to this spending-driven debt crisis and will save the people who sent us here and their families from a bankrupt future. We have now sent not one, but two bills to the Senate that promote both common sense and real spending cuts. If the President and leaders in the Senate are serious about balancing our budget and ending this debt crisis, they will allow this legislation to come to the Senate floor for a vote and be signed into law.

Freshman Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) explains his “yes” vote on the Boehner bill:

The Budget Control Act is far from perfect but the hard reality is that fiscal conservatives control only one-half of one-third of our government. This bill will make sure the President does not receive a blank check to continue his spending binge and the old ways of Washington, DC – blindly increasing the debt limit without spending cuts- are over. This vote is historic- it’s the first time we are raising the debt ceiling with cuts greater than the increase.
I learned when I was a solider at Fort Irwin National Training Center that when Officers waste too much time trying to come up with the perfect plan, they fall short because they are too inflexible or divided to see the path to victory. However, if you can come up with a 70-75 percent plan and execute it well, then you can win- and that’s what we have in the Budget Control Act.
The Budget Control Act is not perfect, but it is the 70 percent plan that my colleagues and I can execute to 100 percent.
It is now time for the focus to be on the United States Senate to produce a plan to take this country forward.
My fellow Americans, I ask you: If I had voted “No” on the Budget Control Act, who would I have been voting for?

UPDATE VIII: Bryan Preston notes that the entire South Carolina GOP delegation voted “no,” as did 2012 presidential candidate Michele Bachmann.

Category: Budget, Congress, John Boehner

Comments

43 Responses to “Boehner Debt-Ceiling Bill Barely Passes House 218-210; 22 GOP ‘No’ Votes”

AngelaTC
July 29th, 2011 @ 10:29 pm

Ron Paul, Justin Amash, Joe Wilson were all no, I’ll bet.

No Democrats crossed the line though. Say what you want about Pelosi…she runs a tight ship. No Repubs better cross the line in the Senate. Oh wait – I forgot about McCain, Graham, Brown, etc etc.
Joe
July 30th, 2011 @ 12:45 am

Old School Compromise.
MrPaulRevere
July 30th, 2011 @ 1:02 am

Your reporting is second to none Stacy, but I must confess the D.C. machinations are boring as all get out. In the meantime…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7v0V58V3Uw
Anonymous
July 30th, 2011 @ 1:27 am

But if Reid had moved on the CC&B bill, he wouldn’t have been able to ramp this up to a full blown crisis. Create divisions w/i the GOP. Let none dare say, Reid and the Dims, are risking the full faith and credit of the US, just for political purposes.
Robbyahm
July 30th, 2011 @ 1:36 am

Have anyone noticed that the entire South Carolina Republican Delegation voted no to Boehners bill? (hopefully to include Lindsey Grahmnesty), something tells me South Carolina is finally (once again) had it up to here with the establishment and washington, Looks like the south is rising again!! (Im in Alabama and every single one of them voted for this bill, such a dying old loser shame)
Mike
July 30th, 2011 @ 1:48 am

You got that right! We’re tired of the same old BS coming out of DC. And as soon as we can, we’re going to give Grahmnesty his walking papers, too.
Mike
July 30th, 2011 @ 1:50 am

Brown already said he liked Reid’s plan…what an Assachussen.
Anonymous
July 30th, 2011 @ 2:50 am

http://tinyurl.com/23963mg
Anonymous
July 30th, 2011 @ 2:50 am

http://tinyurl.com/23963mg
Anonymous
July 30th, 2011 @ 2:51 am

http://tinyurl.com/23963mg
ThePaganTemple
July 30th, 2011 @ 2:54 am

Grahmnesty should be a happy man here in a week or so when Obama decides to drastically reduce funding for border security due to not getting a budget agreement. He probably figures by the time tens of thousands of illegal Mexican immigrants make it all the way to South Carolina, with all those counterfeit citizenship papers, he’ll either be ready to retire or switch parties.
Dianna Deeley
July 30th, 2011 @ 2:56 am

It probably does no good whatsoever, but a tabled bill (such as CC&B) can be un-tabled. I’ve been writing and urging my senatrixes (I cannot, for the life of me, manage to respect Boxer) to bring it to the Senate and vote for it.

Considering that it’s the only bill that does the slightest bit of good in the here-and-now, it seems like a good idea to push it.
Dianna Deeley
July 30th, 2011 @ 2:59 am

Gah! Shopping spam?
Droid-ist
July 30th, 2011 @ 3:09 am

House Speaker John A. Boner’s bill is phoney, and *unless* the man is astoundingly stupid, he knows it.

The cuts are anemic, and rely on our rating to keep the cost of the debt down! IF the rate change is even in the *lowest* region of the increase usually caused by a rating change, THE SAVINGS WILL BE WIPED OUT!
IF the rate change is more normally placed in the region of increase, our debt curve climb is almost asymptotic! It quickly (on paper) reaches an almost vertical climb and freezes there… Our descendants will never be able to climb out of debt.

I know what you’re thinking. Of course, in the real world indebtedness *can’t* follow an asymptotic curve, so what *does* happen?
The currency or the country fails, folds, and in the latter case is divided by the stronger nations.

Now, remember that Speaker Boner(R-Progie), before he moved to DC owned & ran a successful plastics & packaging business.

You don’t build a successful business if you are stupid…
Therefore: he KNOWS his numbers are phoney, just for the slopeheads, and his dishonesty is purposeful.

Can we force a change in Speakers? I’d rather have an honest blackguard there than a lying traitorous backstabbing SOB.

And all you guys saying “it is the best we can do” — did any of you look at the numbers? It isn’t like they even tried to hide the fact that interest rates had to remain near zero to realize any slowing of growth! Don’t you know what happens to your interest rates when your rating drops?
Honestly! If an (almost zombified) old man who’s survived multiple strokes can see this, why can’t you young’uns?
Donald Douglas
July 30th, 2011 @ 3:14 am

Linked: ‘Senate Quickly Moves to Block House Debt-Ceiling Plan’.
ThePaganTemple
July 30th, 2011 @ 3:17 am

But don’t you understand? It’s not important whether you win or lose, its how you play the game. We have principles to which we must adhere, damnit! And as I am sure we are all aware, in politics, nothing is anywhere near as important as principles.

Sure we might lose what we fought so long and hard to gain. But if we do, the people will see how wrong we are. Maybe in a year or two. Or maybe three or four. But that doesn’t matter. We will show them, by God. We will show them all.
Nospam
July 30th, 2011 @ 3:36 am

It’s my hope that one of the very few bright spots in this cloud will be the last of Speaker John Bohner and possibly the last of Representative John Bohner. He’s too weak and too stupid for the job, and that should’ve been obvious from his performance the FIRST time he had it.
Nospam
July 30th, 2011 @ 3:37 am

From your lips, brother…
Bob Belvedere
July 30th, 2011 @ 4:08 am

The Dems all followed in jackboot-step like the good apparatchiks they are.
Bob Belvedere
July 30th, 2011 @ 4:08 am

Mike, they’re called ‘Massholes’.
Bob Belvedere
July 30th, 2011 @ 4:09 am

STAGE THE COUP, House Members!
Droid-ist
July 30th, 2011 @ 4:30 am

TPT, I think you mistake me. I *am* one of those who say to “Stand on. Principle”.

Above *all*, Honesty. You can come to terms with an honest highwayman… you pay the ransom and you’re released. That honest highwayman won’t ask beyond reason — he doesn’t want to have to deal with your inability to pay.

The Dishonest highwayman ransoms you, but doesn’t let go. He doesn’t want a living, he wants control. He’ll ask for more and more with a never-ending hunger… then he’ll kill the hostage.

These dishonest highwayman have held our economy hostage since Wilson, and they figure it is time to kill the hostage. They figure we’re so stupid we’ll keep LOTE-ing along, send more apprentice dis-honest highwaymen to them & their crooked finishing school until it is too late.

Our Founding Fathers warned us against LOTE-ing along, and they recognized that we won our Independence and our Country against impossible odds by the Hand Of Providence.

Most said that when we stopped being a moral nation that relied on the Hand Of Providence, we would fall.

How Prophetic they were!
Ladd Ehlinger Jr.
July 30th, 2011 @ 4:38 am

Mo Brooks, the Alabama Mitt Romney.
AngelaTC
July 30th, 2011 @ 4:47 am

Interest rates have been kept at artificially low rates for such a long time that there’s bound to be a huge amount of pressure built up behind the dam.

Like somebody said in another thread – one debt to rule them all.
AngelaTC
July 30th, 2011 @ 4:49 am

Stacy, I wanted to point out that a couple of other presidential candidates voted on the bill too. Obviously Ron Paul voted no, but Thad McCotter was a big fat yes.
Joe
July 30th, 2011 @ 5:37 am

What is wrong with Scott Brown. I know he has to appease his liberal base, but going with Harry Reid? Still he did apparently vote for the Boehner plan…but why then say he likes Reid. Who does he think he is? Lindsay Graham?
Anonymous
July 30th, 2011 @ 10:28 am

Not for long.
Anonymous
July 30th, 2011 @ 1:59 pm

“My fellow Americans, I ask you: If I had voted “No” on the Budget Control Act, who would I have been voting for?”

The constituents who sent you there, the generations yet unborn who will be fitted for shackles as they take their first breath, and the principles that founded the country. “Give me Liberty, or give me Death!”
McGehee
July 30th, 2011 @ 2:33 pm

Did you miss the part where this bill you insisted the House pass, is already dead in the Senate?
Robbyahm
July 30th, 2011 @ 3:23 pm

Martha Roby, the Republican lapdog (metaphorically speaking, not literally)
ThePaganTemple
July 30th, 2011 @ 3:27 pm

Yeah I got that. At least we tried to come up with something. It’s probably too damn late now anyway as far as our credit rating goes. Maybe it won’t be that bad. I sure as hell not.
ThePaganTemple
July 30th, 2011 @ 3:28 pm

I’m all for principles, they come in a close second after #Winning.
Bill
July 30th, 2011 @ 4:24 pm

Is there any source showing what TIME each individual vote was cast? Of the Republicans who voted “No” there were perhaps 5 or so who voted AFTER the threshold to pass had been met. That means they want you to think they were principled conservatives, but were holding out and were prepared to vote “yes” if needed.
Dianna Deeley
July 30th, 2011 @ 4:51 pm

This morning, I read that Mexico’s unemployment rate is 4.9%. Guess where the illegals are going? Home!
Droid-ist
July 30th, 2011 @ 8:27 pm

what,then,is the difference between you and a marxist?
Our Constitution can only work for a moral people. It, (or anything short of a total and complete tyranny) is insufficient to govern any other.

We now have empirical evidence for the validity of this observation. Principles and morality, if not equivalent, are at the least conjoined twins — one is impossible w/o the other.

I feel pity for you “win at any cost” types. Contention with a neighbor? Perhaps they let their dog dump on your lawn, and you keep stepping in it…
Why not get on battlegear and snuff’em- a *sure* win there!

We are in this mess PRECISELY because winning is 1st place and staying honest and doing what is right takes 2nd… or 3rd… or 4th… or for the DemonRats, last place. My purpose in mentioning the Founding Fathers was to illustrate that point. America was not Good because it was Great, but Great BECAUSE it was Good.

If people put winning ahead of doing what is right, you must increase the granularity of laws to cover *every* circumstance. That is the Progressive Mindset, and it is because THEY have no Principles — everyone measures others by the yardstick of themselves.

Until we fix the Lack of Principles problem, we will just continue to deteriorate. And we (Conservatives and Libertarians) will continue to lose.

Hopefully more people have figured this out.
Anonymous
July 30th, 2011 @ 8:52 pm

Our credit rating was doomed sometime in the aughts. There could in theory have been an opportunity to change that course in 08 but that path was barely considered. It’s just as well really, does anyone really think the US Government’s credit should be rated AAA?
Anonymous
July 30th, 2011 @ 8:55 pm

Sooner or later “things” including borrowed money will cost what they should cost.
ThePaganTemple
July 30th, 2011 @ 11:31 pm

And if people put doing what’s “right” above winning, they won’t ever get a damn thing done because they will very seldom find themselves in the position to be able to enact their high-minded ideals. You’re just naive, dude. And that’s fine, what you believe is your own business. But when what you believe puts all of us in danger, then you need to step back and come up for air. We live in a mixed nation as far as morality, integrity, and ethics goes, and whether you like it or not we have to adjust to that reality.

Or since you’re convinced the republic can’t work other than with a “moral people” what are you saying then, that we should hang it up? Or are you saying that liberal Democrats are moral? Do you even know what you’re saying?

What makes me different from a communist is I believe in the federalist ideals of the constitution. That’s all I’m required to believe in. And those are the only principles I give a good rats ass about. And yes, in order to see them enacted and everything that goes against them thrown out, then by God I want to WIN and I want to WIN by any means possible. Once we are in the position to enact the principles of limited government and liberty etc as outlined in the constitution then you’re free to preach all the sermons you want. Until such time you are free to get in your own way as much as you want, just stay out of mine.
ThePaganTemple
July 31st, 2011 @ 12:13 am

Yeah, Neil Cavuto, but who the hell listens to him? He was saying today that we’re “the only game in town”, which sounds to me like he’s trying to be optimistic beyond all reason. Hell, Canada is a better investment right now than the US. Canada. Then there’s Brazil, India. Probably Australia, but I don’t know about that. But the point is, there’s all kind of places that are on the way up economically. We’re far from the only game in town. I know I wouldn’t buy US Bonds right now. I’m too much of a realist.