It looks like Boehner may not pull it off.
Tide turning against House GOP
By Bob Cusack - 07/28/11 04:08 PM ET
House Republican leaders are desperately looking for the votes to pass Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) debt-limit bill.
Boehner and his lieutenants are publicly expressing confidence, but their actions clearly show that they are still rounding up support. Boehner on Thursday afternoon was seen lobbying members, seeking “yes” votes in what is the biggest vote of his Speakership.
There are 25 House Republicans who will vote no or are leaning no, according to The Hill’s whip count. There are more than three dozen Republicans who are publicly undecided, and 10 of them said or suggested on Thursday that they are still on the fence.
Thursday afternon presented major setbacks to Boehner, who can only afford 23 defections if -- as expected -- every Democrat votes no. Reps. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said on Fox News he is a no. Rep. Francisco "Quico" Canseco (R-Texas) went from undecided to no. Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) said he is now leaning no.
The task is fast becoming mission impossible, where several members have to change from no to yes. And all the undecideds have to break with Boehner.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has said he will immediately move to table Boehner's bill, if it passes the lower chamber. Every member of the Senate Democratic Caucus opposes it.
Boehner and his top lieutenants were scrambling for votes Thursday in anticipation of this evening’s vote, expected at around 6 p.m.
As the House was voting on a separate appropriations bill Thursday afternoon, Boehner shuttled a trio of undecided Republicans, Reps. Chuck Fleishmann (Tenn.), Tom McClintock (Calif.) and Bill Posey (Fla.), into an office off the House floor for private meetings. Fleischmann subsequently said he will vote yes.
As Posey was leaving, Boehner opened the office door and gave him an enthusiastic handshake in view of a gaggle of reporters watching.
Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) told reporters he was still leaning no on the bill and questioned whether it would be the GOP’s last chance to influence the debt-limit debate. He speculated that the Senate could send Reid’s measure, which he said was similar to Boehner’s proposal, back to the House, and then the House could attach a clean balanced-budget amendment and send it back to the Senate. Such a move would put the ball back in the Senate’s court as Aug. 2 approaches and pressure Democrats to accept a constitutional amendment they have supported in the past. Flake would not say whether he had met privately with Boehner.
Rep. Justin Amash (R-N.Y.), a conservative who frequently votes against the leadership, said he remains opposed to the bill but acknowledged that party leaders had discussed compromises that could win him over. He would not disclose what those changes were and said he had not met personally with Boehner.
The 10 Republican members who indicated on Thursday they are undecided are:
read more............
thehill.com |
