House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) kept the door wide open Thursday to foregoing a deficit reduction plan and giving President Obama the authority to raise the debt limit unilaterally, with no policy strings attached. But pressed on whether this strategy, first proposed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, would pass the House if all else failed, he couldn’t say.
“Mitch described his proposal as a last ditch effort in case in case we’re unable to do anything else,” Boehner said at his weekly press availability, “And what may look like something less than optimal today, if we’re unable to get to an agreement, might look pretty good a couple of weeks from now.”
McConnell’s plan would give Obama the power to raise the debt limit, contingent on notifying Congress and vetoing a so-called “resolution of disapproval.” He and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are currently hammering out specifics, which would likely include some deficit reduction measures.
“I think it’s worth keeping on the table,” Boehner said. “There are a lot of options that people have floated and frankly I think it’s an option that may be worthy at some point.”
I asked Boehner whether, under the worst-case scenario, such a plan could pass the House of Representatives.
“I have no idea,” Boehner said.
President Obama has admonished Boehner and other Congressional negotiators that they must decide on a path to resolving the debt limit impasse by Friday.
Brian Beutler
Brian Beutler is TPM's senior congressional reporter. Since 2009, he's led coverage of health care reform, Wall Street reform, taxes, the GOP budget, the government shutdown fight, and the debt limit fight. He can be reached at brian@talkingpointsmemo.com.
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