When Republicans showed up to their pivotal powwow in the Capitol basement on Friday morning, it was no surprise to see the freshmen of the South Carolina delegation arrive together. Of the five GOP members from the Palmetto State, four — Jeff Duncan, Trey Gowdy, Mick Mulvaney and Tim Scott — are rookie representatives. Since coming to …
Boehner
Keeping a Safe Distance, Obama Lays Out a Path Forward in Debt Talks
“Tweet,” said the President of the United States, Friday, speaking from the Diplomatic Reception Room. He was renewing his call, first issued in Monday’s primetime address, for Americans to contact their Senators and Congressman …
House Delays Vote on GOP Debt Bill
Updated, 10:00 PM
House Republican leaders have delayed a pivotal vote on Speaker John Boehner’s proposal to cut the deficit and raise the federal debt ceiling, suggesting they may still be scrambling for votes after three days of whipping wavering members. Laena Fallon, a spokeswoman for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, said the …
With Debt Talks at the Brink, It’s Business as Usual on Capitol Hill
If it weren’t for the late-night jokes and the prime-time press conferences and the cable networks’ ticking countdown clocks to Debt Armageddon, you wouldn’t have thought the name of a post office was at stake in Congress on Thursday, let alone the full faith and credit of the United States. House Speaker John Boehner was calm and …
The GOP’s Debt Test: Can the ‘Hell No’ Caucus Get to Yes?
The first thing to know about the group of House Republicans who will determine the fate of Speaker John Boehner’s bill to cut the deficit and raise the debt ceiling is that many of them came to Congress to say no. This Tea …
The White House Flirts with a Debt Ceiling Veto Threat
When President Obama addressed the nation on Monday night about the stumbling effort to raise the federal borrowing limit, he notably chose not to issue any explicit threat to veto Speaker Boehner’s proposal, which is expected to …
Six Possible Paths in the Debt-Ceiling Debate
According to President Obama, Congress has become mired in negotiations to raise the debt ceiling and trim federal deficits. The way ahead is unclear — every path has hurdles, if not roadblocks, obstructing the way. As Congress …
Unable to Deal With Each Other, Obama and Boehner Invade Prime Time
“I won’t bore you,” President Obama said, as he broke into America’s prime time TV lineup on Monday night. This was ironic, because he went on to talk about Triple A credit ratings, Dwight Eisenhower and the debt limit. …
Mixed Response from GOP as Boehner Pushes Unilateral Debt Plan
Clarification appended, 11:15 AM Tuesday:
House Speaker John Boehner hawked his new proposal to raise the federal debt limit on Monday afternoon, imploring House Republicans in a closed-door meeting to back a plan that meets …
Notes of Optimism in Weekend Wrangling, but No Debt Deal Yet
A day after talks between President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner abruptly collapsed, congressional leaders worked overtime on Saturday to craft a deal that can raise the $14.3 trillion federal debt limit and staves off a …
Obama and Boehner Close to a Debt Deal, Sources Say
President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner are close to a deal to cut the deficit and raise the federal borrowing limit, congressional sources say.
Though both sides deny a deal is imminent, congressional Democrats who …
Still Stalled: Debt Talks Splinter as Negotiators Go Their Own Ways
Washington’s debt-ceiling talks have entered a new and desperate phase. With two weeks to go until the U.S. begins to cut government services to avoid defaulting on its credit obligations, negotiators are further apart on a plan …
Compromise or Contingency: The Path Forward on the Debt Ceiling
There is a certain irony in the fact that the two men who spoke the least at White House debt ceiling negotiations over the last week will likely be responsible for forging the path ahead. And like any grand compromise in …