No Vote Tonight: Boehner Falls Short on Count

House speaker can't push through debt plan
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jul 28, 2011 9:41 PM CDT
No Vote Tonight: Boehner Falls Short on Count
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., arrives at the Capitol office of House Speaker John Boehner.   (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

John Boehner could not quell a revolt among conservatives and push his debt plan through the House tonight. House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy announced about 10:30pm EST that no vote would take place. House Republicans had delayed the vote earlier this evening but still expected to get it done tonight. Democratic leaders had said no one in their party intended to support the measure. Senate Democrats, meanwhile, had pledged to scuttle the measure, if it ever got to them.

Based on public statements by lawmakers themselves, it appeared that five of some two dozen holdouts were from South Carolina. The state is also represented by Sen. Jim DeMint, who has solid ties to Tea Party groups and is a strong critic of compromising on the debt issue. The move sets up what will likely be a frantic day tomorrow in both the House and Senate to forge some kind of solution ahead of next week's default deadline. (More debt ceiling stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X