It was not a real vote. The Reid measure was still pending before the Senate. So Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Rules Committee, drew up his own version of the Reid bill and sent it to its death on the House floor, where 11 Democrats joined Republicans in rejecting the measure, 246 to 173.
“There are some good things in Senator Reid’s proposals. But I will say this: I don’t believe that continuing down the road towards increasing debt ceilings without the kinds of checks necessary is the right thing to do,” Dreier said.
Even by House standards, the debate was rowdy and sharp-edged, as lawmakers in both parties hooted and shouted down their colleagues across the aisle. Republicans booed Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who accused Boehner of going “to the dark side” when he rewrote his debt-limit bill to add required passage of a balanced budget amendment — a change designed to appeal to his far-right wing.
Pelosi turned toward her GOP colleagues and said it again with emphasis. “Let me repeat,” she said, “he chose to go to the dark side.”
The atmosphere was just as tense and bitter in the Senate, where McConnell delivered a letter to Reid signed by 43 Republicans declaring their opposition to his version of the debt-limit bill.
Four Republican senators did not sign the letter: Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, Scott Brown of Massachusetts and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). But there was little evidence that Reid’s bill could muster the 60 votes needed to overcome a Republican filibuster — a fact Reid tacitly acknowledged when he rejected McConnell’s offer to stage a vote early Saturday evening.
“There are some good things in Senator Reid’s proposals. But I will say this: I don’t believe that continuing down the road towards increasing debt ceilings without the kinds of checks necessary is the right thing to do,” Dreier said.
In his weekly address, Obama repeated his call for a bipartisan compromise.
“It must have the support of both parties that were sent here to represent the American people — not just one faction of one party,” the president said. “Congress must find common ground on a plan that can get support from both parties in the House. And it’s got to be a plan that I can sign by Tuesday.”
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A tougher tests looms for John Boehner
Rachel Van Dongen contributed to this report.
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