July 29, 2011 12:11 AM UTC

Senate Vows Quick Defeat of Boehner Plan--Reid Plan Next?

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• by: Colorado Pols

UPDATE #2: House Republicans postpone a vote on the debt ceiling. From MSNBC:

Earlier in the day, in a closed-door GOP meeting, Boehner, R-Ohio, made headway in securing the 217 votes necessary to pass his plan. No Democrats were expected to support it. Boehner told the Republicans he expected to round up enough votes but was not there yet.

“But today is the day,” he said, according to people in the room.

Today is Thursday, and is not “the day,” apparently. Maybe Friday is “the day.”

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UPDATE: Politico reporting that the vote in the House on John Boehner’s plan has been delayed–but “will still be held Thursday evening.” Trouble getting those votes in line?

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CBS News updates on the next debt-ceiling chess moves:

The Republican-led House will vote on Boehner’s plan in the late afternoon. It’s unclear whether the speaker will have enough support in his caucus to pass the measure, which would increase the U.S. borrowing limit by up to $900 billion while cutting more than $900 billion in spending over the next decade.

With one Democrat out for health reasons today, Boehner needs 216 votes to pass his bill and can afford to lose 24 Democrats. In the early afternoon, CBS News tallied at least 17 Republicans who will vote against it and nine who are leaning against it. Fifty were undecided.

If the bill does pass, Reid said today he would take it to the Senate floor for a vote immediately — where the Democratic majority will reject it…

The Senate Democratic caucus sent a letter to House Republicans Wednesday night informing them that all 51 Senate Democrats and two Democratic-voting independents are prepared to vote against the plan. Reid has put forward his own plan, which could cut around $2 trillion in debt and raise the debt ceiling at least through the end of 2012, but it’s unclear if or when the Senate will vote…

Sens. Mark Udall and Michael Bennet of Colorado are both reportedly willing to pass the “Reid Plan”–as we’ve discussed, a deficit reduction deal that sacrifices a Democratic goal of additional revenue in exchange for sparing Social Security and Medicare. Both would rather be voting on something closer to the goals of the Bowles/Simpson deficit reduction commission, or the related “Gang of Six” plan that includes both cuts and increased revenue. Or something even better aligned with Democratic goals of protecting social programs and raising revenue to reduce the deficit with less harm–but that’s not the hand they’re likely to be dealt at this point.

With the clock ticking, it’s quickly going to come down to the least imperfect solution; and Reid’s plan may emerge as the most politically defensible way forward left to either side.