President Obama, warning that time is running out to lift the federal debt ceiling, said Friday that a House GOP plan has “no chance of becoming law,” and he urged Senate Democrats and Republicans to come together on a “bipartisan compromise.”
Obama spoke as House Republican leaders labored Friday to rescue a debt-limit plan opposed by their party’s arch-conservatives. But he reiterated that the House leaders are wasting their time by trying to pass a measure that includes a short-term raise of the debt ceiling.
The House plan “does not solve the problem,” Obama said. He urged the American people to keep up the pressure on their elected representatives to reach a compromise and said the two sides in the Senate are not far apart.
Reentering the fray on the negotiations to avert a potentially disastrous U.S. default that is now only four days away, Obama delivered his hastily scheduled statement in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House. He did not take questions afterward.
“Today I urge Democrats and Republicans in the Senate to find common ground on a plan that can get support from both parties in the House, a plan that I can sign by Tuesday,” Obama said. “There are plenty of ways out of this mess, but we are almost out of time.”
Administration officials indicated earlier that Obama and fellow Democrats remain opposed to the House GOP plan and its provision for a two-stage increase in the federal debt ceiling tied to large spending cuts. The White House wants a single increase in the $14.3 trillion debt limit that would last into 2013, arguing that a series of short-term raises would fail to calm the markets, possibly trigger a credit-rating downgrade and become embroiled in election-year politics.
House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) called a 10 a.m. meeting with his party members to plot the way forward after he was forced to cancel a vote on his plan late Thursday in the face of persistent opposition from recalcitrant conservatives.
In the Senate, Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) vowed to proceed Friday with his own bill to raise the debt ceiling. He appealed to his chamber’s Republicans to help him pass the bill, which he described as a compromise that meets key GOP demands, and he invited Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to a new round of negotiations to modify it so it can obtain the needed 60-vote supermajority in the Senate. He urged House Republicans to “break away from the shrill voices of the tea party” and return to the party of Ronald Reagan.
“The last train is leaving the station, and this is a last chance to avert a default,” Reid said in a morning floor speech. “I ask my Republican friends, break away from this thing going on in the House of Representatives.” He said a vote against the Senate compromise proposal would be “a vote to default on the full faith and credit of the United States.”
Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that even if the House Republicans get together and pass their bill, it will not pass the Senate and will not become law. The House, he said, “is pursuing a path to nowhere.”
The only bill that seriously addresses our undisciplined spending and rapidly mounting debt is Cut, Cap and Balance. Everything else being discussed is woefully inadequate with the only difference being how quickly we become the next Greece. Reid should allow a floor debate and then a vote on this house-passed bill. It really is quite reasonable. If we had a balanced budget amendment we wouldn't be having this debate right now and the "cut" part reduces federal spending by a quite doable $1...See More
you've already found common ground! $4 trillion worth.
the problem is both parties want to be seen as the 'winner' and make sure the 'other side' is seen as the loser. and then there's the norquist lobby and their 'pledge compliance', holding campaign funding over people's heads.
the problem is both parties want to be seen as the 'winner' and make sure the 'other side' is seen as the loser. and then there's the norquist lobby and their 'pledge compliance', holding campaign funding over people's heads.
The House has already proven it is totally dysfunctional. It's time for the Senate to act and get their bill passed. The markets are already falling, and it may be too late to save our credit rating. We don't have any more time left for stupid political games. We created this crisis; we can end it in a heartbeat.
Funny how both parties want the other party to put partisan politics aside and be grownups.
C,mon, Speaker Boehner. Stop trying to be the House majority leader. Be the elder statesman who forges compromises -- the duty that the U.S. Constitution and our Founding Fathers envisioned for the Speaker of the House. Put forward a clean bill to raise the debt ceiling and end this manufactured crisis now. Be the sane hero, Boehner. Do you really want history to remember you as the kook who led the country and the Republican Party to ruin?
I disagree with Mr. Obama on one point. He might want to say "long over".
" THE TIME FOR PUTTING MY REELECTION FIRST IS OVER "
Tragedy has become comedy. The Democratic Senate leader has invoked the spirit of Ronald Reagan whose Ayn Rand policies have gotten us into this mess. The Democratic president instead of a plan urges Democrats and Republicans to get together and work something out. Just imagine Lyndon Johnson saying "Boy I would like to provide health care to the elderly, why don't you Democrats and Republicans work something out".
Both parties are working on the great P. T. Barnum principle "...See More
Both parties are working on the great P. T. Barnum principle "...See More
In truth the pentagon has already started to slash defense contractor's budgets. Our Company is expecting Millions in cuts from last years budget on October 1, 2011. October 1,2011 is when the Pentagon Budget Cuts kick-in for years 2011-2012.
C'mon, Boehner. Rally those still loyal among your troops, call Pelosi and get a clean bill passed by the House today. You don't need the Tea Party to pass a clean bill.
So Obama is now saying what we all know: if this plan passes the House, it can't pass the Senate or the White House. Why this isn't enough for Republicans, I do not know. If I ascribe some sense to them, maybe that's the reason they're dithering, not because they're fundamentally clueless.
The two branches are not coequal. Congress is a child, and the President is the frustrated, exasperated adult in the room. If he manages to convince the House to GET ITS ACT TOGETHER, I will give Obama full credit for averting disaster. I also pledge my vote to Obama if he acts unilaterally, hopefully on Monday.
There will be no deal that will satisfy the House Republicans as a whole. We have seen that the conservative wing of that group has a firm set of beliefs that have been cultivated by propaganda from the right against government and government solutions, as they frame it.
This nation no longer perceives government to be society's policy maker and means of implementing it. The infrastructure, services, and formal organization developed over two centuries has been trivialzed int...See More
This nation no longer perceives government to be society's policy maker and means of implementing it. The infrastructure, services, and formal organization developed over two centuries has been trivialzed int...See More
Boehner's plan should stand.
No blank check and spend what is in the bucket. Pay the SS, Medicare, Veterans, and interest on debt. No catastrophe is going to occur.
The real sticking point is that Republicans want to go through this again for the sake of damaging Obama's presidential campaign in a few months. This is putting politics first, clearly. They could get the votes from Democrats to pass a bill if they dropped this two tiered approach, which is very bad for the economy and for Democrats. Republicans want to capture the presidency again so badly that they are willing to do whatever damage to the economy that it takes. I was skeptical of this cla...See More
Obama was and is the disaster. I am sure that tea party would capture presidency. Bush was the disaster also, but, in my opinion, Obama is much worse. At least, with Bush people knew what they signed for. Obama is, on the contrary, the renegade and the great liar and betrairor. But, we would see who would win the presidency now when both parties are so terrible and obviously compromised!
So, you are saying that the Democrats are not "playing politics". Right? They both do so be honest. The President is not a leader...except in a community. He's in over his head. As for the Representatives sent to Washington to stop the spending, what would you have them tell those who elected them? Is their no longer any integrity? Democrats will never curtail spending and we all know it. Socialism here we come.
Obama only wants to win the next election and to destroy this country and bring in the "one world monetary system" Read the book of Revelations, we are living in it. The "mark of the beast" is about to emerge and those that partake of it will not only see the wrath of God by will go to hell.
Revelations 13 and 14. If Obama is not the anti-christ, he has the same spirit.
Wicked people are those that don't seek God. You can't serve God and money!!
All liars will have...See More
Revelations 13 and 14. If Obama is not the anti-christ, he has the same spirit.
Wicked people are those that don't seek God. You can't serve God and money!!
All liars will have...See More
The real sticking point is that because of all this infighting our Congress has not done any other business than focus it's attention upon 170 members, including 87 freshman, of the House who have become dazzled with the power that they feel. While the are developing swollen heads no business of the country is being addressed.
Anyone who wants a repeat performance of this is not a serious person.
Anyone who wants a repeat performance of this is not a serious person.
The funny thing is that the GOP, tea party leaders in particular based on yesterday's article, are accusing Obama of doing the same thing. Phillips accused Obama of not wanting to go through this again in 6 months only because it would hurt his reelection. Can anyone say "pot calling kettle black"? While there may be some truth to that, in the grand scheme of things, is this really what we want to go through twice a year? I sure don't. I really don't see any reason for wanting to restart th...See More
Some of the extreme, impolite and bizzare comments above represent what rational people have come to expect from the Tea Party extreme. Obama the Anti-Christ? Obama the great liar? Whew...there are some real strange people out there.
No kidding. As I wrote in response to this in my post, we don't fix elections in this country, so Republicans can run on their own merits. Unless, of course, they're afraid to run on their own merits...which is entirely understandable.
If the objective of the Republicans is simply to go through this again for the sake of damaging Obama's reputation, then it is odd they passed a bill raising the limit over a week ago. The legislation would have resolved this issue AND helped us retain our credit rating.
The Senate tabled the legislation.
The Senate tabled the legislation.
This is what I don't understand. While this whole ugly, disgusting, childish mess has damaged the president's poll ratings, it's done worse damage to congressional Republicans. If the GOP thinks this is a winning issue for they, they're not playing with a full deck.
truthmatters3...the cut cap and balance bill asking for a constitutional amendment was just a front. First, it would take entirely too long to get something like this debated and voted on...way to big for the timeframe we have. Second, many economists and politicians (probably most) would say it is a bad idea, anyway. If all it does is make Republicans feel good or put up a good front, it was a waste of time. Their efforts were better spent on resolving the pressing issue at hand, not doing ...See More
The bill passed by the House -- the Cut, Cap and Balance -- would have inflicted unrealistic spending cuts on the programs that provide a social safety net to the most vulnerable AND it demanded the passage of a balanced budget amendment. Not realistic. Not going to pass. Passing a bill that cannot make it through both chambers and be signed by the president is the same as not passing a bill at all. The is a Democratic governing philosophy. It does include taking care of people who cannot t...See More
