Republicans in the Senate say the will filibuster (i.e., demand cloture, and vote against) Reid's debt ceiling proposal.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, you remember the nuclear option, right? Basically, the theory was that since the Constitution demands that nominees be approved by the Senate, the Constitution therefore demands that a vote on the nominee (not a cloture vote) be taken. And that, with enough procedural manueverings, the Senate could rule by majority voet, that cloture in this case was unconstitutional and that an up-or-down vote must be taken. And then it would be. And so the Republicans threatened back whenever.
So Harry, why not fight fire with fire? The Constitution says that the public debt of the United States shall not be questioned, right? Can't argue with that. And the only way for it not to be questioned is to raise the debt ceiling. Therefore, an up-or-down vote on the debt ceiling (not a cloture vote) must be taken. Enough parliamentary maneuvers and a majority vote by the Senate on this point of order and, presto!, the Senate passes your debt proposal.
That's what I'd do, Senator, if I ran the zoo.
And what if the House doesn't pass it? Mr. President, then you have a lot of options.
Invoking the 14th amendment is one, and that has been discussed ad naseum here. I'd be all for it, if I were you. How better to show who is the adult in the room?
Another is to be a bit vague, and simply say that not paying our debts would be irrevocably harmful to the national security of the United States and the Constitution. Therefore you are protecting the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic, by ordering the United States to pay the bills the Congress has authorized to be paid when it passed the budget last December. And then dare the House to impeach you and the Senate to convict you.
"I am the President, and I am not going to let this happen, period."
That would be pretty cool too.
A third is to say that the laws are in conflict. The Congress has authorized spending, and the Supreme Court has ruled that the President cannot impound funds. But the Congress has also refused to provide the authorization to borrow the money that must be spent. In this case one or the other law must be broken, and obviously the one that would result in the the loss of the full faith of credit of the United States is the one that would have to go.
I'd pick one of them and tell Congress to kiss my a**. That's what I'd do, Mr. President, if I ran the zoo.