House GOP finalizes debt-limit playbook
By Robert Costa, WashPost, Updated: February 3 at 11:20 pm
Several House members told The Washington Post on Monday that Republican leaders have narrowed their list of possible debt-limit strategies to two options: trading a one-year extension for approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, or trading a one-year extension for repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s risk corridors.
Both plans, which were first discussed last week at the House GOP’s annual retreat in Cambridge, Md., will be debated further Tuesday morning, when House Republicans meet at the Capitol. House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) is said to be open to either approach, as long as it can win heavy GOP support.
A clean debt-limit extension is not yet on the GOP’s radar, though Boehner has said he would avoid default.
Other proposals, such as requesting a balanced-budget amendment in exchange for an extension, still have broad support in Republican ranks, but have been momentarily shelved, since they are unlikely to win even scattered Democratic support.
In an interview, Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said Boehner would spend this week “looking for the sweet spot” as his colleagues mull how to proceed. “After the State Department’s report on the pipeline, that becomes an easier pitch,” he said. “But the risk corridors item was popular at the retreat and remains popular.”
(More here.)
Several House members told The Washington Post on Monday that Republican leaders have narrowed their list of possible debt-limit strategies to two options: trading a one-year extension for approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, or trading a one-year extension for repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s risk corridors.
Both plans, which were first discussed last week at the House GOP’s annual retreat in Cambridge, Md., will be debated further Tuesday morning, when House Republicans meet at the Capitol. House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) is said to be open to either approach, as long as it can win heavy GOP support.
A clean debt-limit extension is not yet on the GOP’s radar, though Boehner has said he would avoid default.
Other proposals, such as requesting a balanced-budget amendment in exchange for an extension, still have broad support in Republican ranks, but have been momentarily shelved, since they are unlikely to win even scattered Democratic support.
In an interview, Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said Boehner would spend this week “looking for the sweet spot” as his colleagues mull how to proceed. “After the State Department’s report on the pipeline, that becomes an easier pitch,” he said. “But the risk corridors item was popular at the retreat and remains popular.”
(More here.)
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