http://prospect.org/csnc/blogs/tapped_archive?month=05&year=2011&base_name=a_clean_voteA Clean Vote
By Jamelle Bouie | Posted 05/03/2011 at 12:30 PM
Well, this is interesting:
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) suggested Tuesday that Republicans may allow a clean vote on raising the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling in order to demonstrate that it lacks the votes to advance through Congress absent reforms.
"If it is necessary for us to tell the president that it is dead on arrival in the House, I believe we can do that," Cantor said following a Republican conference meeting.
President Obama and congressional Democrats have demanded a "clean" vote on raising the debt limit, but Republicans say it must be combined with spending cuts and reforms.
A large majority of Americans oppose raising the debt ceiling, and a number of Republicans have already committed themselves to voting against any increase. If they're going to pass it -- and I think they will -- they're going to have to vote against it first. Hence this proposal.