House insiders say Boehner’s fear is that conservative activists and powerful conservative groups start to align against the bill and rattle its fragile coalition. If that happens, and the bill’s support falls apart, a simple, six-week debt-ceiling extension is still in the leadership’s back pocket, but there’s no plan to bring that up anytime soon.
... SNIP ...
Privately, they’re [ba: Senate Republicans] worried that if Boehner struggles to find support for his amped-up version of the emerging Senate deal, it’ll give even more leverage to Senate majority leader Harry Reid. “If the House can’t get its act together, we’re going to get nothing, other than preserving sequestration,” says a Senate GOP aide. “They’re playing games, and we’re over here, just trying to survive.”
NRO
More below the Orange Squiggle of Power.
Lots of other goodies in the article, including the Tea Brained rebellion against removing the medical device tax because it's "crony capitalism" ... which means that what was once a key demand is now rejected as insufficiently conservative.
Paul Ryan is trying to rally the troops behind this sure-to-be-rejected bill so that they can survive another day ... but the roughly 50 members of the extra-conservative wing of the GOP caucus are now resisting even Ryan.
I'm going to quote directly from the article on that one:
... SNIP ... budget chairman Paul Ryan, who has been an instrumental leadership confidant over the past few weeks, is talking with colleagues, trying to get them behind the plan as he looks toward broader budget discussions. But even Ryan is meeting resistance from the bloc of approximately 50 conservatives who are unhappy with the plan. After fighting to delay and defund Obamacare for months, they’re not ready to back a watered-down plan.
If there are 50 Republicans who won't vote for a plan Paul Ryan supports, then Boehner cannot possibly pass a bill without Democratic support.
Of course, the petty and infantile Vitter Amendment must be included, otherwise the House GOP could not continue their tradition of being lead by Senators. The Vitter Amendment removes government funding for health care for members of Congress, forcing them to use Obamacare. And as envisioned by the House, the Congressional staff must be included - and some of those people make $25,000 a year in an expensive town. Way to show your concern for the little guy, Republicans.
So the House GOP wastes time we don't have passing a bill with no chance of being enacted (again). There are rumors that the House may pass their bill and leave town, trying to present the Senate and Obama with a "take it or leave it". This demonstrates their usual level of Constitutional aptitude:
Article II, Section. 3.
He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.
Obama can convene the House. If the Republicans don't attend, I believe that Nancy Pelosi could (under these circumstances) declare that those in attendance constitute a quorum and start passing bills.
As fast as possible. Like this:
- Clear debt ceiling raise
- Clean CR with Democratic numbers for funding
- Raise minimum wage to $12/hr
- Add public option to ACA
- And so on
Watch how fast Boehner gets back into the House Chambers if that happens.