–House Speaker Delays Key Votes, Trying To Line Up Republicans
–House Still Expected To Vote Tonight on Debt Ceiling Bill
–House Now Shifts To Bills Naming Post Offices In U.S

By John Shaw

WASHINGTON (MNI) – Literally minutes before the House was scheduled
to vote Thursday evening on House Speaker John Boehner’s revised debt
limit plan, the Republican leadership set the bill aside.

The decision to delay the vote is a clear indication that House
Republican leaders are not yet confident they have the needed votes to
pass the measure.

Boehner appeared confident that the bill would pass during a
Thursday afternoon briefing, but deferred a direct question about the
number of votes he had for the bill to the third ranking House
Republican, the Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, who is responsible for
counting the votes on key legislation.

Republican aides still expect the House to vote on the Boehner bill
Thursday evening.

Boehner’s plan would raise the debt ceiling by $900 billion this
year and $1.6 trillion next year. Passing the initial $900 billion debt
ceiling increase would require Congress to pass more than $900 billion
in spending cuts through imposing caps on discretionary spending.
Approval of the second tranche of $1.6 trillion would require passage of
$1.8 trillion in spending cuts in entitlement programs.

Under Boehner’s plan, the House and Senate would also have to vote
on a balanced budget constitutional amendment between this October and
the end of the year.

A number of lawmakers have said they expect intense negotiations on
a final debt ceiling bill to begin after the House passes the Boehner
bill Thursday evening and the Senate defeats it. They expect the final
product to be a complicated blending of the Boehner and Reid plans.

The U.S. has already reached its $14.29 trillion debt ceiling.
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner has said that Congress must pass
legislation increasing the debt ceiling by August 2.

The House is now considering bills to name an assortment of post
offices.

** Market News International Washington Bureau: (202) 371-2121 **

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