Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.)
says House Republicans may use an unfair process in a vote on his debt-ceiling legislation.
"I have heard from my friends on the House side," said Reid. "To show how they are gaming the system over there they are going to have a vote on my proposal on suspension.”
Reid was upset because House Republicans are calling up his bill under a special rule that requires a two-thirds majority for passage rather than a simply majority.
Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) deficit reduction bill, for example, would have failed in the House if it had been brought up by the same process as Reid’s.
Meanwhile, the Office of Management and Budget says the White House supports a yes vote in the House on the Reid bill:
The Administration strongly supports House passage of H.R. 2693. It is imperative that the United States not default on the Nation’s obligations, that the full faith and credit of the United States be preserved, and that the fiscal house be put in order. The bill would increase the debt ceiling to a level that will be sufficient for the Nation to meet its obligations through the beginning of 2013, while providing both a significant down payment on deficit reduction and a means to further address deficit reduction through a balanced approach that allows for both cutting spending and eliminating tax subsidies that benefit the wealthiest Americans and corporations. If the bill were presented to the President, his senior advisors would recommend that he sign it.
You can watch the vote on C-SPAN here.
12:04 PM PT (Kaili Joy Gray): Dave Weigel Tweets:
Reid bill 1.0 already dead in House. 144 no votes, enough to kill it under suspension.
12:12 PM PT (Kaili Joy Gray): And the bill is defeated, 173-246.
12:18 PM PT (Kaili Joy Gray): Meanwhile, Sen. Reid is heading to the White House for a meeting at 3:30 PM ET.