2nd Term, Part VI: Burnin' down the House

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: 2nd Term, Part VI: Burnin' down the House

Not how I took it. Sounded like a House bill would be voted on later and sent to the Senate where if it failed it would be "Reid's default."

Isn't that what he said?

That's better. This has always been a Reid/Obama shutdown.

 

[Rover]

Re: 2nd Term, Part VI: Burnin' down the House

John Boner looks like a one legged man trying to win an asskicking contest. Give it up already.

 

[Priceless]

Re: 2nd Term, Part VI: Burnin' down the House

Not how I took it. Sounded like a House bill would be voted on later and sent to the Senate where if it failed it would be "Reid's default."

Isn't that what he said?

I listened to the first part of his interview. When he started spouting the "this is Obama's shutdown" crap I tuned him out. I heard him say that Boehner didn't want to do the "Ted Cruz plan" and thought it was bad strategy, but went along with it. He had finally decided to drop it and go with the majority of his caucus. What I didn't understand was his claim that Pelosi wouldn't allow any Democrats to vote for it. Pelosi already said the vast majority of the Democrats are on board with the Senate bill. That makes me wonder if there isn't a poison pill in the bill that would be voted on tonight anyway. There are an awful lot of proposals floating around, and quite frankly, I doubt even Boehner knows even at this late hour what he will eventually bring to the floor tonight.

The House will be in recess after the vote tonight and members may go home, but are subject to recall at any time. Still, it would be nice if people stuck around DC so we wouldn't waste valuable time waiting for Joe Blow to fly back in from East Bumphuck.

 

[Priceless]

Re: 2nd Term, Part VI: Burnin' down the House

Here is the text of the bill that will go to the floor tonight:

PDF

ETA: Reading through it, so there will be multiple edits. Things I see so far

It funds the government through 12/15 (Yeah, good idea...let's do all this again at Christmas)
It looks like the Ryan number is the one being used
Except defense. That is funded at 100%. Cute.
Hard to make sense of this because of all the legalese, but it seems like they are pulling funding for construction of a memorial to Ike.
Oh this is nice.

SEC. 135. Notwithstanding any other provision of this joint resolution, there is appropriated for payment to Bonnie Englebardt Lautenberg, widow of Frank R. Lautenberg, late a Senator from New Jersey, $174,000

I hoe they plan to pay the furloughed workers...
And they do

SEC . 141. (a) Employees furloughed as a result of any lapse in appropriations which begins on or about October 1, 2013, shall be compensated at their standard rate of compensation, for the period of such lapse in appropriations, as soon as practicable after such lapse in appropriations ends.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: 2nd Term, Part VI: Burnin' down the House

I listened to the first part of his interview. When he started spouting the "this is Obama's shutdown" crap I tuned him out. I heard him say that Boehner didn't want to do the "Ted Cruz plan" and thought it was bad strategy, but went along with it. He had finally decided to drop it and go with the majority of his caucus. What I didn't understand was his claim that Pelosi wouldn't allow any Democrats to vote for it. Pelosi already said the vast majority of the Democrats are on board with the Senate bill. That makes me wonder if there isn't a poison pill in the bill that would be voted on tonight anyway. There are an awful lot of proposals floating around, and quite frankly, I doubt even Boehner knows even at this late hour what he will eventually bring to the floor tonight.

The House will be in recess after the vote tonight and members may go home, but are subject to recall at any time. Still, it would be nice if people stuck around DC so we wouldn't waste valuable time waiting for Joe Blow to fly back in from East Bumphuck.

How in the hell can they go into recess without this finished? That is utter and complete BS.

 

[Priceless]

Re: 2nd Term, Part VI: Burnin' down the House

How in the hell can they go into recess without this finished? That is utter and complete BS.

A complete abdication of leadership. So something right down Boehner's alley.

 

[XYZ]

Re: 2nd Term, Part VI: Burnin' down the House

Since I'm lazy, does anyone have the details on what the contraception nonsense actually includes?

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: 2nd Term, Part VI: Burnin' down the House

A complete abdication of leadership. So something right down Boehner's alley.

This will change this country on the world stage more than anything else ever has. The Republicans are destroying America, the economy, and the world economy all at one time. And why? To be honest I don't really know. They have so many scattershot BS demands that make no sense and have no relation to the budget I honestly have no clue.

 

[Priceless]

Re: 2nd Term, Part VI: Burnin' down the House

Since I'm lazy, does anyone have the details on what the contraception nonsense actually includes?

None of that seems to be in the House version linked below. Any social nonsense was dropped from the bill. I also don't see a repeal of the 2.3% tax that has been such a key issue. Again, this is all based on my reading of the bill, there may be something buried in there as a reference to some other bill that deals with social issues, I haven't memorized them all

 

[walrus]

Re: 2nd Term, Part VI: Burnin' down the House

I hoe they plan to pay the furloughed workers...
And they do

Essential folks, who still had to work while not getting paid, get screwed. if they were on vacation, they either had to come back to work or not get paid. If you were out sick, either come back to work or not get paid. You couldn't leave early without forfeiting pay even if you had the time coming.

 

[Priceless]

Re: 2nd Term, Part VI: Burnin' down the House

Essential folks, who still had to work while not getting paid, get screwed. if they were on vacation, they either had to come back to work or not get paid. If you were out sick, either come back to work or not get paid. You couldn't leave early without forfeiting pay even if you had the time coming.

And private workers, like those at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard are screwed because they don't get paid at all, yet are still expected to pay their bills somehow.

--

BTW, the Heritage Foundation is urging a NO vote on the House version.

 

[Priceless]

Re: 2nd Term, Part VI: Burnin' down the House

Motherphucker. The Rules Committee meeting has been postponed "indefinitely" and members are quietly telling the media there will be no vote tonight.

ETA: Unreal. The Republicans have to postpone this because they don't have the votes to pass it. Now my question is: Do they have enough votes with the Democrats to pass it, or are they worried because they don't have a majority of Republican votes?

ETA2: It has enough votes to pass according to CNN, just not enough Republicans on board. The Heritage Foundation statement didn't help. The question is whether Boehner will forgo the "Hastert Rule" and move the bill forward anyway.

BTW, the ratings agencies are starting to place America's AAA credit rating up for review.

 

[joecct]

And private workers, like those at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard are screwed because they don't get paid at all, yet are still expected to pay their bills somehow.

--

BTW, the Heritage Foundation is urging a NO vote on the House version.

One would think that the governors of MD (D) & VA (R) would tell their congressional delegations to get something done before their respective treasuries run dry.

However both sides appear to have drawn lines in the sand and are daring the other side to blink.

Adults?

 

[Priceless]

Re: 2nd Term, Part VI: Burnin' down the House

Son of a...

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Confirmed: tonight's vote is dead</p>— Robert Costa (@robertcostaNRO) <a href="https://twitter.com/robertcostaNRO/statuses/390237293656551424">October 15, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>



“The votes aren’t there,” says a leadership aide. “We’ve been unable to get people around this strategy.” What killed it: late afternoon mtgs at Cap w/ conservative members and leadership. Firehose of cold water

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: 2nd Term, Part VI: Burnin' down the House

Told ya we were going to default. I can't wait for Rand and Cruz to run for President after this BS.

Fitch has placed its "AAA" U.S. credit rating on "rating watch negative," a step that would precede an actual downgrade. The agency said it expects to conclude its review within the next six months. The firm says it expects the debt limit will be raised soon, but adds, "the political brinkmanship and reduced financing flexibility could increase the risk of a U.S. default."

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505123_162-57607660/fitch-warns-it-may-lower-u.s-credit-rating/

As soon as the downgrade happens that's the equivalent of a huge debt increase. Exactly what the GOP wants.

 

[Priceless]

Re: 2nd Term, Part VI: Burnin' down the House

From Faux "News" - A Senate Republican aide said “Ted Cruz and his Tortilla Coast Republicans are leading us to a default.”

 

[burd]

Re: 2nd Term, Part VI: Burnin' down the House

From Faux "News" - A Senate Republican aide said “Ted Cruz and his Tortilla Coast Republicans are leading us to a default.”

If I lived under a rock in South Carolina, I'd be dayum proud of those fellas for standing up to the man who would bring sharia law to Mayberry. Maybe thems that got jobs'll have to work another 4 or 5 years but it don't make me no nevermind.

 

[Priceless]

Re: 2nd Term, Part VI: Burnin' down the House

Lindsay Graham:

"I would just say to any member of the Congress now, what is your oath? What is your reason for being here?" he said. "Are you going to stop our ability to reopen the government forever and to honor our obligations come the 17th? I can understand fighting for your cause, but there comes a point when you have an obligation to your country as the whole."

Graham added that he was among the raucous group of House Republican freshmen who helped usher in the shutdown of 1995-1996.

"It's not like I haven't been in a position where I was really fired up to change things. I understand that," he said. "But at the end of the day, I've learned something since 1995. Fight for your cause -- but understand the American people are intrinsically fair minded, and they see in our approach an overreach."

The South Carolina senator then offered up an analogy often used by President Barack Obama: What if Democrats "held hostage" the Bush-era tax cuts in exchange for raising the debt ceiling or funding the government?

Boner has apparently left for the night. He ducked out a side door and avoided the press. A Faux "News" reporter did see a delivery cart taking 21 pizzas to the GOP leadership offices, so it appears someone is working late. Senators Reid and McConnell have been working on a new bill and 14 senators from both parties met in Susan Collins' office to brainstorm a new deal.

This was just summed up pretty well by Sen. Chris Murphy: Tomorrow three people are going to have a decision. First, does Boner side with the Teapublicans and crash the economy or cobble together enough Republican votes plus the Democrats to pass the Senate bill. Then, Ted Cruz and Mike Lee have to decide if they'll allow "unanimous consent" on the senate bill. If they decide against it, the bill will require a lengthy debate etc and the earliest the senate will vote on it will be the weekend. Plus Cruz and Lee could filibuster it for a couple days. If Boner brings it up for a vote in the House, and Cruz and Lee allow unanimous consent in the Senate, then we might still avoid default. I seriously don't like our odds if we have to count on sanity from Boner, Cruz and Lee....

 

[Old Pio]

Re: 2nd Term, Part VI: Burnin' down the House

All you ladies need to make this reltney-rama complete is Wallace Hartley leading the band in "Nearer My God to Thee."*


*Although they didn't actually play the hymn, it is a comforting myth.

 

[Priceless]

Re: 2nd Term, Part VI: Burnin' down the House

Huh.

When Eric Cantor shut down debt ceiling negotiations last week, it did more than just rekindle fears that the U.S. government might soon default on its debt obligations — it also brought him closer to reaping a small financial windfall from his investment in a mutual fund whose performance is directly affected by debt ceiling brinkmanship.

Last year the Wall Street Journal reported that Cantor, the No. 2 Republican in the House, had between $1,000 and $15,000 invested in ProShares Trust Ultrashort 20+ Year Treasury EFT. The fund aggressively “shorts” long-term U.S. Treasury bonds, meaning that it performs well when U.S. debt is undesirable. (A short is when the trader hopes to profit from the decline in the value of an asset.)

According to his latest financial disclosure statement, which covers the year 2010 and has been publicly available since this spring, Cantor still has up to $15,000 in the same fund. Contacted by Salon this week, Cantor’s office gave no indication that the Virginia Republican, who has played a leading role in the debt ceiling negotiations, has divested himself of these holdings since his last filing. Unless an agreement can be reached, the U.S. could begin defaulting on its debt payments on Aug. 2. If that happens and Cantor is still invested in the fund, the value of his holdings would skyrocket.

“If the debt ceiling isn’t raised, investors would start fleeing U.S. Treasuries,” said Matt Koppenheffer, who writes for the investment website the Motley Fool. “Yields would rise, prices would fall, and the Proshares ETF should do very well. It would spike.”

Nice to know the #2 man in the US House of Representatives is betting against the United States.