Premium ContentMouse over Home then click on Premium Content for information.WASHINGTON — House Republican leaders rushed around the floor Friday, doing last-minute arm-twisting to ensure their debt ceiling proposal made it over the finish line.
They didn't have to worry about the Nebraska delegation. The state's three House members, all Republicans, threw their support behind the plan early in the voting.
And there seemed to be little desire to move toward Senate Democrats on the issue. The Senate voted Friday night to reject the House bill and began crafting its own measure.
"It is the Senate's choice: Listen to the American people and act on the compromise legislation which (passed) the House, or continue refusing to address our debt crisis," said Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb.
Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb., said that if the legislation comes back to the House in a more moderate form, it will struggle.
"Any backtracking means you're going to have to pick up (House) Democrats," Terry said.
Terry said removing provisions requiring passage of a balanced budget amendment, for example, would cause him and up to one-half of House members to withdraw their support.
"How we resolve this is yet to be determined," he said.
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., was holding out hope that the Senate would follow the House's lead in passing the balanced budget amendment.
"We can leverage this moment for long-term structural spending changes in Washington," he said.
The Nebraskans didn't have to think very long about their "yes" votes, but Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, was just as quick to punch the red "no" button.
King said the proposal didn't go far enough to cut spending and did not adequately define the balanced budget amendment. He said the House should have stood by the legislation it had passed earlier in the week.
"This is a destiny vote," King said. "If you accept the proposal that's in this language, then instead of us looking at a $25 trillion national debt in 10 years, it will be $24 trillion."
Nebraska's senators split on the House bill, with Republican Mike Johanns in favor and Democrat Ben Nelson opposed.
Nelson said that the House bill would provide only six months of stability and that he wants legislation that will solve the problem beyond the start of 2013.
"We need longer-term stability for long-term growth and jobs," Nelson said. "It's about getting this economy straightened out."
Johanns said it's hard to know where possible compromise lies but that negotiations would continue "hot and heavy" over the weekend.
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202-630-4823, joe.morton@owh.com
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