Boehner's choice: Pander to tea party orprevent shutdown (Reuters/Larry Downing)
A senior Senate Democratic aide tells me that in today's private meeting at the White House, Speaker John Boehner signaled to the President and to Harry Reid that Republicans were not willing to support any budget compromise that can't garner the votes of 218 Republicans in the House. [Emphasis added.] That would be a break from the GOP's previous posture: Republican leaders had appeared willing to reach a deal that could pass the House with Republican and Democratic support, even if it meant losing some Republicans.
A few minutes ago, Harry Reid went public with the accusation. It's a huge deal—unless Boehner backs down, he's basically given tea party Republicans veto power over any proposal that would prevent a government shutdown. The problem is obvious: tea party Republicans want a government shutdown. And with veto power, they will get what they want: a shutdown.
Meanwhile, Politico's David Rogers is reporting that Republicans are pushing for a $40 billion, an increase of $7 billion over the $33 billion that negotiators had been working on last week. $33 billion is also the amount that Boehner originally proposed, before tea party Republicans added more cuts to the mix.
Ultimately, the only way to get a compromise that will prevent a shutdown is to put forward a package that can get Democratic and Republican votes, especially in light of the fact that Democrats control the Senate. This how the last short-term stop-gap bill was passed—with Democratic and Republican votes. And it's how a long-term deal will get through Congress. Giving tea party Republicans veto power all but guarantees a shutdown. To keep the country moving forward, Boehner needs to climb down from the ledge, and fast.
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