Debt ceiling vote: John Boehner down to the wire with vote count

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Speaker John Boehner is down to the one-on-one meetings with Republicans to win today’s fight.

With just hours to go before a critical debt-limit vote, the speaker is pulling Republicans off the floor and meeting with them in his ceremonial office on the second floor of the Capitol as he tries to make sure he has at least 217 votes to pass his deficit package.

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First to go into Boehner’s office was Tennessee Rep. Chuck Fleischmann. Fleischmann was first grabbed off the floor by Barry Jackson, Boehner’s powerful chief of staff, and that was followed by two quick meetings with the speaker himself.

Florida Rep. Dennis Ross was next into Boehner’s office, and then California Rep. Gary Miller, who was described as “all over the place” by one GOP aide. California Rep. Tom McClintock got some face time with Boehner, as did Florida Rep. Bill Posey.

GOP aides said Boehner and the entire Republican leadership are pulling out all the stops for the debt vote. Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers of Kentucky is helping usher members into their meetings with Boehner. While Rogers can’t hand out bridge and road projects like his predecessors, he has a wide network of contacts after three decades in Congress, both in Washington and beyond. This network is being worked hard by Boehner and other top Republicans.

“We’re calling governors, donors, former senators, anyone we can to talk to these guys,” said a Republican staffer involved in the frantic arm-twisting effort.

The private discussions are also taking place among other leaders, who are reaching out to rank-and-file lawmakers on their own. Budget Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin was seen chatting with freshman Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan as well.

Boehner is also reaching out to veterans for help.

After a meeting with Boehner, long-time appropriator Jack Kingston said he’s leaning yes.

“We need to stay in this fight,” Kingston told POLITICO.

Earlier in the day, Boehner told lawmakers that Republicans don’t yet have the votes to pass the package but predicted his leadership team would get the legislation across the finish line this evening.

“We do not have the votes yet,” Boehner told a closed meeting of House Republicans Thursday morning in the Capitol, according to sources in the room. “But today is the day. We’re going to get it passed.”

Republicans have had a lot of convincing to do with their own party members, but they seem to have gained momentum.

Georgia Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, who met with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) Wednesday, told lawmakers the bill didn’t have as much savings as he would like, but he will vote for the bill.

Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), a bulky former Notre Dame football player, gave a rousing football-themed speech and said he would vote for the bill. He told colleagues they needed to do three things: Put on your helmet, put in your mouthpiece and tighten your chin strap. He gave out signs with the Notre Dame football saying, “Play like a champion today.”

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/60125.html#ixzz1TR4Ft0U9 

One Response to “call these congressmen, let them know, that they risk being thrown out of office by the Tea party, if they vote for either Boehner or Reid plan. Both plans are simply an insult to human intelligence”

1. Florence Stone
   July 28th, 2011 @ 9:59 pm

   I liked the ‘cut, cap, and balance’ that PASSED the House with Bi-partisan support. The buck should have stopped there. The Senate should have been made to come up with something BETTER, or pass CC&B as well. This is nonsense; the house backing down on CC&B. Put the pressure on the Senate, and let the House take a breather. They did their job and passed the CC&B. That bill set well with the Tea Party. House & Tea Party against the Senate…CC&B should make it to the desk of the illegitimate POTUS. He wouldn’t dare veto it!!

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