White House Issues Veto Threat on Boehner Debt Limit Plan

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White House Issues Veto Threat on Boehner Debt Limit Plan
By: David Dayen Tuesday July 26, 2011 1:33 pm	Tweet

The White House offered a brief riposte to John Boehner’s two-stage plan to raise the debt limit and cut the deficit. Here it is in its entirety:

STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY

S. 627 – Budget Control Act of 2011

The Administration strongly opposes House passage of the amendment in the nature of a substitute to S. 627. If S. 627 is presented to the President, the President’s senior advisors would recommend that he veto this bill.

That would settle it. Some commentators who haven’t been watching Obama veto threats closely said that this gives the President some wiggle room, but it’s the same language that the Administration uses for 99% of their veto messages.

So not only may Speaker Boehner not have the votes to pass his plan out of the House, it cannot pass the Senate and the President has threatened a veto. Of course, that means it will get a vote tomorrow.

Incidentally, Jim DeMint has now weighed in to say that Boehner’s plan doesn’t have the votes in the House.

1 Comment

One Response to “White House Issues Veto Threat on Boehner Debt Limit Plan”

greybeard July 26th, 2011 at 2:33 pm

That may be the most common language used by the administration, but it certainly open to a change in heart. It would be much stronger if it plainly said that the President will veto the bill.

That said, I find it hard to believe if he gets S627 on his desk on Thursday or Friday that he will actually veto the bill and dare the congress to come up with an alternative that they have not been able to design to date. I also do not think that the house will vote for a plan that is more to the Presidents liking.

My question is, on August 9th or 16th, will this bill or even the house bill on cut, cap and balance look more attractive than no action at all?