Tuesday, February 11, 2014
House Votes to Raise Debt Ceiling, Without Conditions
Today the House voted to increase our nation's debt ceiling. The Democrats of the House were the majority of the 221-201 vote as only twenty-eight Republicans voted yes. Controversy surrounds Speaker John Boehner as he announced he would put a “clean” debt ceiling increase up for a vote. When the original package was presented last night, the Republicans were uncooperative which led him to depend on the Democrats. Do you think that Boehner has lost his ability to lead the House? Is a petition to end John Boehner's speakership a bit drastic? Let me know what you think.
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I support Boehner's decision to put aside party politics and look to the democratic minority for help passing the bill to raise the debt ceiling. I also applaud the Republicans who decided to vote as they wanted and not listen to the Republican leadership. Before this article I had never heard of "Boehner's Rule" (debt ceiling increase was supposed to be offset by an equivalent spending cut) but it seems to make sense to me. I agree it is unfortunate that the house was unable to work with both parties to make "Boehner's rule" a reality, but I am glad Boehner finally stood up to republican leadership and the Tea Party members in the house.
ReplyDeleteI am saddened by Boehner’s decision to cave with regard to raising the debt ceiling. While many would say that this should help the Republicans in the midterm elections, I have two important points to make: this vote could very well demoralize the Republican base (which needs to turn out in November). In addition: what good does it do to win elections if that party, when in power, refuses to stand for anything?
ReplyDeleteBoehner's decision is certainly a bold one, but I'm not completely sure it is the right one. I think the decision to raise the debt ceiling should have been bipartisan rather than solely supported by the Democrats and a few Republicans. I stand by my earlier comments that a few attached strings could be a good thing. Boehner's actions showcase his leadership abilities since he was able to mobilize the entire Democratic minority to get this bill to pass, despite strong opposition from his own party, particularly the Tea Party faction.
ReplyDeleteI think speaker Boehner showed great skills of leadership, cooperation, and compromise by passing this debt-ceiling bill the way he did. A bipartisan route shows that he is working towards American success not Republican success. This is another example of the Republican Party making it their goal to impede Obama and the Democrats and not working to pass legislation. When representatives say things like “He gave the president exactly what he wanted, which is exactly what the Republican Party said we did not want,” they show their utter opposition to Democratic success. Sometimes you need to play for your party but sometimes looking at the grand scheme and compromising is a better path.
ReplyDeleteI support Boehner's decision to break away from the usual party course of action. For one, because it shows that the two parties can actually (though reluctantly) work together in some way, and two, because it shows division within the Republican party, which will hopefully result in electoral losses later this year. A Democrat majority would make me happy.
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ReplyDeleteMuch to Andrew's dismay, Boehner did a great thing and put away his partisanship to make the decision he thought was for the better. If anything, John Boehner is a stronger House leader than before, proving that he is willing to make the decisions he feels is right, even if it pisses a few people off. If house republicans really draft a bill calling for Boehner's removal, it shows that they haven't matured past kindergarden and can't take no for an answer.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with Speaker Boehner's decision to split away from the Republican party and depend on the Democrats for this vote. It is showing a lot of weakness in the Republican party, and this is not looking good for Republicans in the upcoming elections. I dont understand why Boehner would do that to his party.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ethan that Boehner's decision to split away makes him look like a stronger house leader. I disagree with Steve that this action shows weakness. Making compromises and working with the democrats shows that Boehner is mature and a responsible House Speaker. Breaking away from the typical party course was a good idea. A petition to remove John Boehner from his position is VERY drastic. It's not like he is actually committing a crime or breaking written rules of the House.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it probably would have been better to have a little more support from Republicans before passing this bill, I commend Boehner for recognizing that facing continuous crises on the subject of the debt ceiling only distracts from the real work that Congress has to do. Some ideological purists in the Republican party might say he "deserted" their position, but it is better for Boehner, in this case, to show a lack of loyalty than to continue supporting activity detrimental to the activity of the government and the economy. It will be interesting to see what happens in March 2015, when there might need to be another standoff on this matter.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I think it was the right decision to raise the debt ceil no matter who the support came from, I think adding something about a spending cut should have been done. Like Olivia said, having string attached can be beneficial. As a whole “Boehner’s Rule” makes sense to a point because it acknowledges that cuts need to occur for us not to face this issue time and time again. Overall it is good to see Boehner doing what he thinks is needed, rather than bending to the will of his party.
ReplyDeleteI think that Boehner's decision to go bipartisan on this vote was a good thing. It shows his ability to compromise and I believe it was a very mature thing to do. Steve questioned why Boehner would do something like that to his party. He wasn't do it to his party, he was doing what was best for America, which he should be doing regardless of his party loyalty.
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