Senate Votes Against Tea Party-Backed Debt Ceiling Bill

[Historic NY]

Source: Huffington Post.

WASHINGTON -- The Senate has rejected a House Republican bill to cut spending and require a balanced-budget amendment.

The vote Friday was 51-46. The tea party-backed measure had been widely expected to fail in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

The focus was on efforts by President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner to come up with an ambitious $4 trillion grand bargain that would secure the support of rank-and-file lawmakers. But wide differences still remain.

Washington is less than two weeks away from an Aug. 2 deadline that could precipitate a first-ever government default.



Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/22/cut-cap-balance-senate-debt-ceiling_n_906531.html

---

AP broke the story further news to follow.

[elocs]

1. Wow, a whole 51 votes to reject it. That certainly seems like an insurmountable number. n/t

[jwirr]

2. I am sure that when it came to the rethugs only enough to pass voted

for it. They are all too afraid of their Tbaggers so only secure rethugs took the risk.

[eomer]

5. No, it was a straight-party vote.

Except for 3 Senators not voting (2 Democrats and 1 Republican), all Democrats voted to table and all Republicans voted not to table. (To table meant to drop the bill from any further consideration.)

Here is the vote:
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=1&vote=00116

[locahungaria]

8. Thank you for providing an explanation......

I was unclear as to what exactly this vote meant and you explained it perfectly!:)

[jwirr]

11. Yeah, we actually stood together long enough to get something

done. Finally.

[eomer]

4. If the bill had gotten past this step with 50 votes then it would have failed to get the 60 votes

it would need on a cloture vote at some point in the future.

So 51 votes is probably insurmountable unless the Democratic majority in the Senate fractures or caves.

[karynnj]

10. It actually is - though the more important number there is the 46

They need 60 and only have 46 now - though they would have 47 if that vote were needed. There are always some who miss votes as they can't get to the floor on time if the vote is called without much notice - but, if a vote is needed the leader will insure all his people are there. I remember one vote where a Senator flew back from a funeral (or some similar thing) and as the news was following that vote, they mentioned that the leader was delaying it until he arrived. No such need here.

[CBHagman]

13. Yeah, yesterday Senator Lee (R-UT) whinged...

...that the Democrats were refusing (his word)to give (again, his word) 13 votes to the GOP to pass the House's cut, cap and balance measure (or, as a Democratic congressman called it, "cut, crap, and balance"). Boo-effing-hoo.

[SpiralHawk]

3. "Take that, you TeaBagging FAIL artistes (R)." - Americans

eom

[HockeyMom]

6. Should have been 52

Kirsten Gillibrand of NY didn't vote.

[LiberalEsto]

7. Kerry didn't either nt

[pam4water]

9. That is good news sort of. It will be interesting to see who has more sway over the repubs TBag or B

Banksters.

[FreeBillClinton]

12. That vote should be used against every one of those republicans forever.

[freshwest]

14. Does this give Obama room to invoke the 14th and have done with these hooligans?