We had the votes in the House, if only Boehner & Cantor & the spineless Repukes would have exercised it. There were 2 CR's (Continuing Resolutions) in Dec 2010 and April 2011, in which the House Repubs simply kicked the can down the road to avoid dealing with increasing the debt ceiling or submitting a budget for 2012. Finally when they could not delay any further at this time, they wilted like flowers in a scorching heat, and gave 0dumb0 the crown jewels, namely a $2.4 TRILLION increase to the debt limit till after the Nov 2012 elections. Boehner, McConnell & the Repub weenies just gave the 2012 election back to 0dumb0 and to the House & Senate demoRATs, along with a $2.4 TRILLION war chest. The House will flip back to the demoRATs in 2012 and the Senate will see more DemoRATs rather than fewer.
Funding originates in the House. If Boehner & the Repubs had any balls, they should have done the following immediately 2 months ago.
All Boehner & the Repukes had to do was to set the stage right at the very beginning and to declare emphatically with no hesitation.....
1) Not one penny increase to the debt limit
2) Mandatory spending cuts of $1 Trillion in 2012, including defunding Odumb0Care entirely.
3) To hell with "spending cuts" that reach out for 10 years. It is totally false & bogus & will be overturned with the next socialist (and socialist lite) Congress.
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They did none of the above and instead gave 0dumb0 what he was really after, the $2.4 TRILLION increase to the debt ceiling. Now 0dumb0 can spend & bankrupt us like crazy with or without tax hikes, because he will either simply borrow more or print more money.
Boehner & the Repukes blew it in huge way.
When bonehead sent up the bill with the cut and balance provision and immediately said he had an alternate plan he telegraphed for all to see this was a sham, period. He gave those who needed some cover the opportunity to say the voted for the bill which did these things while telling the world, including the dimbulb in the oval office, don’t worry, you will never see this bill on your desk. Surprise, it never got out of the senate. I lost all respect for him at that point because I could see the drill, a charade. Then they send up another bill knowing full well the senate was going to shred it and dictate a bill back which is exactly what happened.
I noted to my sham congressman who voted for the first bill and widely noted his vote and then voted to approve the final bill he is through as far as I am concerned. I hope there is a primary challenge and he loses. A dem will never win in this district and he knows it.