Steny Hoyer On Debt Ceiling: Don't Expect A Single Vote Without Revenues

[Derechos]

WASHINGTON -- The Democratic House leader in charge of counting votes on legislation to raise the nation's debt ceiling warned on Monday that he couldn't guarantee a single vote from his party if revenues weren't part of the deal. His counterpart on the Republican side echoed that prediction if revenues were part of the deal.

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) told attendees at a White House gathering that a Republican-pushed plan to slash more than $1.5 trillion in federal spending -- along with reforms to the entitlement program -- would likely have to pass with only GOP support.

"In the room, the Democrats made clear they couldn't get Democratic votes for such a cut-only package," said a Democratic official with knowledge of the exchange. "And that is relevant because everyone knows that Cantor and Boehner will bleed a significant number of their caucus before we even start the process. So anything that passes requires significant Democratic votes and the thing they laid out that didn't have revenues, that was all cuts, didn't meet the test... Democrats made clear there was no Democratic support for it."

A spokesman for Hoyer confirmed that the Maryland Democrat said he could guarantee "no Democratic votes on a package without revenues."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/11/hoyer-warns-gop-on-debt-c_n_895150.html

[Lifelong Protester]

1. TAX THE RICH

It is a part of every message I send/email/phone to Congress. And the WH.

[gkhouston]

2. This is entertaining. I wonder how long it will last. n/t

[ClarkUSA]

3. Nice to see that Pres. Obama's message got through. You can herd cats, after all.

Well, at least some of them some of the time. ;)

[Hydra]

6. And when he tells the Dems in the house to vote on a no revenue slash budget bill? n/t

[ClarkUSA]

8. May I borrow your crystal ball? There's a lottery ticket I'd like to win.

[Hydra]

11. No need for a crystal ball:

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2009/08/17/4430429-obama-agenda-no-public-option

The AP: "The shift leaves open a chance for compromise with Republicans that probably would enrage Obama's liberal supporters but could deliver a much-needed victory on a top domestic priority."

Don't need to be psychic to read a pattern.

BTW, if I'm wrong and the President DOESN'T do what he's done at least 10 times before this(horrifically cave), I'll be happy to eat crow.

Being wrong is far preferable to being screwed....again.

[ClarkUSA]

12. So you're listening to GE-owned corporate MSM whore analysis now?

One thing is clear: this budget deal won't please teabaggers/"no compromise" purists on either side of the aisle but I don't give a shit about whiny tantrum-prone constituencies who have no clue as to what it takes to pass legislation in a divided, partisan Congress.

[Hydra]

13. You mean if there are no tax increases and the cuts are deep?

Someone in the WH thinks this is a good idea. They're pushing pretty hard for it...just like the article I gave you that basically laid out why Obama gave up his best bargaining chip...because he felt he "needed to."

[ClarkUSA]

14. No one knows what the final budget proposal will entail, including you.

Stop with the bullshit speculation. It's boring and pointless.

[dkf]

4. Doesn't look like we will get a vote then seeing as how both sides refuse the others position

Default here we come.

[Ragnarok]

16. That sums it up pretty well.

Practical matters aside... I'd almost respect them (even the Republicans) if they in fact actually followed through with their trash-talking and didn't vote. At least it would signify that perhaps they actually believed in their convictions enough to stand by them. Not many captains willing go down with their ship these days. Honestly... raising the ceiling, cutting this program, taxing that guy, moving numbers from this column into that column, etc... I'm not convinced that even doing ALL of it will get us out of our current hole. Fundamentally, that hole is that the country is at war with itself. Right now it seems like the "two sides" hate each other more than I can ever recall. That doesn't make for a strong and healthy nation, regardless of how much money you have in the bank or how big of a credit line you secure. Until we fix that, it's all Band-Aids on bullet holes.

[robinlynne]

5. What do you mean part of the deal Steny? Aren't you raising the bar a little too low?

[TheKentuckian]

9. They just want a lil face saving and will go like sheep to the slaughter

for even less than the TeaPubliKlans walked away from already.

I think many feel they can pitch us on anything with about 500 billion in revenue. I don't know why but somebody thought the votes were there for the existing travishamockery and it wasn't the final offer either.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

7. Steny Hoyer knows what's up! n/t

[Warren Stupidity]

10. hey steny, how about NO CUTS TO SS AND MEDICARE?

how about them apples you corporate boot licking dickweed?

[Ruby the Liberal]

15. On to August 2nd then.

Off we go with the pissing contest.

:popcorn:

[Oasis_]

17. Yep

They will not cede an inch of ground on their refusal to raise revenue. What I expect is a shutdown avoided with language that closes loopholes and pared down spending cuts.

I still don't believe they will allow a default, but right now Obama has more to lose politically than the Repubs do, so in the end I truly believe the final compromise will ultimately entail deeper and more significant concessions from our side than theirs.

Unless of course we take the 14th Amendment route (which I would recommend), however I don't get the sense that's a popular alternative, for whatever reason.

We're definitely living in interesting times...

Oasis

[Ruby the Liberal]

18. They have him by the short and curlies

All they have to say is that they *had* to stop him from "killing Medicare" (or some such nonsense) and we as Dems will wear the collapse like an albatross for a generation.