As the drama of the debt ceiling debate goes down to the wire, the House of Representatives is ready to vote on Speaker Boehner’s deficit reduction bill.
Our local Congressmen were on different sides on the bill, so where are they now?
Roger Gray joins us in the news update center with the story.
Congressmen Louie Gohmert and Jeb Hensarling have been in opposing camps on the so-called Boehner bill.
But the Congress is basically out of time, so how did they actually vote?
It may seem like an exercise in futility, but the House has passed a Republican deficit reduction plan that the Senate has already said no to.
And the Senate is ready to vote on a Democratic plan that the House rejects out of hand.
But even among Republicans, there has been dissension, primarily over the size of the deficit reduction which is less than a trillion dollars over 10 years.
But it does include a requirement for a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.
Congressman Jeb Hensarling is on the leadership team and has had the job of rounding up votes.
Congressman Louie Gohmert feels the plan is too timid and doesn’t lower spending enough, but Hensarling says it’s the best they’ll do for now.
And Gohmert finally voted for the bill.
“I haven’t spoken to Louie this afternoon. But however he casts his vote, I’m sure he‘ll cast it for the right reasons,”Hensarling told KETK.
“Yes, I’ve talked to Jeb. Jeb has supported it from the beginning. I know Jeb, and I know him pretty well.l And with his conservative beliefs, I’m sure he’s really had to hold his nose to support it. But he’s part of Boehner’s leadership team, and he’s being a team player for the speaker. I know this has been tough for Jeb, but yes, he and I have been on opposite sides of this issue up through yesterday,” Gohmert said.
But the Senate, as we mentioned, considers the bill dead on arrival, particularly with the inclusion of the balanced budget amendment.
But their alternative has yet to appear.