House GOP’s New Debt Limit Strategy: Force Dems To Pass A Budget

[DonViejo]

AHIL KAPUR JANUARY 18, 2013, 1:05 PM

Updated: January 18, 2013, 1:15 PM

House Republicans have a new debt ceiling strategy.

Instead of using the debt ceiling as leverage to extract immediate spending cuts, they will use it to pressure Senate Democrats to pass a budget resolution.

Wrapping up their annual retreat on Friday, GOP leaders unveiled their plan: they intend to pass legislation that raises the country’s borrowing authority for three months, and establish that if Congress fails to approve a budget in that time, members will not be paid.

In Speaker John Boehner’s words: “No budget, no pay.”

“Next week, we will authorize a three month temporary debt limit increase to give the Senate and House time to pass a budget,” House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) said in a statement. “Furthermore, if the Senate or House fails to pass a budget in that time, Members of Congress will not be paid by the American people for failing to do their job.”

-snip-

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/01/house-gop-debt-limit-budget.php

[global1]

1. What Exactly Is The Situation Regarding The Budget?.....

Who are the Repugs putting pressure on here? The President? The Senate? Does the House have any part of coming up with the budget? Would appreciate it if someone would provide a little background info here.

[Rowdyboy]

2. Perhaps the Speaker should check out that pesky 27th Amendment to the constitution

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-seventh_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

The Twenty-seventh Amendment (Amendment XXVII) prohibits any law that increases or decreases the salary of members of the Congress from taking effect until the start of the next set of terms of office for Representatives. It is the most recent amendment to the United States Constitution. It was submitted to the states for ratification in 1789, but was not adopted until 1992.

[Protalker]

3. slippery of you Agent Starling

This is a very cagey attempt by the repugs to put the Democrats in a corner.whatever is put out by the party is something to vote against. The Republican polls show that the base is angry a Congress for not stopping more legislation by the President.the Koch brothers made it clear that the debt ceiling has got to pass or they and their billionaire buddies will suffer some really huge financial setbacks.

[bemildred]

4. They are just waaaay over their heads, aren't they?

[stuffmatters]

5. Moving on from holding unemployment insurance hostage for safety net cuts

Now they're threatening Congress' own pay to try to force them to "pass a budget" which really means: Cut social security, medicare and medicaid before you'll get paid. Kind of a win win for these Repugs: please the markets (Pete Peterson and the other 200 Corporate Narcissists in Fix the Debt/Business Round Table) and play to the Tea Part base's flailing machoism by denying
paychecks to Congress. If the Dems fall for this, they are so stupid that they do not deserve to represent the people who voted for them And they'd better label it exactly what it is...a personal economic threat on legislators to surrender serious money from the public social safety net insurance fund.


BTW why doesn't the Senate propose a bill that forbids any member/wife/staffer in the Senate or House of Reps from making one dime off of any debt ceiling/budget debate. Last time Eric Cantor makde tons of money for every day the debt ceiling was not raised ...via voting against the US in his black swan account. They passed a rule recently against insider trading but never addressed the even more reprehensible action of Cantor and his ilk of knowingly influencing legislation that increases his investments and net worth.