House Passes Boehner Plan; Senate Rejects It

John Boehner finally got his debt ceiling plan through the House, and it survived all of two hours. The bill passed 218-210 today after the House speaker reworked it to appease Tea Party conservatives. As expected, the Senate promptly tabled it, meaning it is effectively dead. Just after the Senate vote, Democratic leader Harry Reid signaled he would push ahead with his own plan even though it, too, had little chance of passing when it reaches the House.

The two bills, however, could provide the basis for behind-the-scenes talks by congressional leaders aimed at finding a bipartisan compromise that could win approval in both chambers before Tuesday's default deadline. The Senate vote was 59-41, with all Democrats, two independents, and six Republicans joining in opposition. (More debt ceiling stories.)