The debt ceiling deal passed the House late Monday afternoon (West Coast time) and heads to the Senate on Tuesday.
Passage, however, may not be assured in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
Still, Republicans are confident enough that many have already made flight plans to leave town by Monday night.
If you called your local member of Congress on Monday you may or may not have received an answer as to how they planned to vote.
“Haven’t talked to him” was the response from the press person for Rep. Elton Gallegly (R – Simi Valley).
The response was somewhat odd in that I would expect the Congressman’s position on such a high profile matter would be known by staff.
For debt limit comments made by the California Congressional delegation in recent weeks, click here.
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The press aide took my number in case he actually found out how his boss would vote, prior to when the vote took place. I didn't hear back.
"We haven’t seen the bill yet” was the response from Rep. Brad Sherman’s (D- Sherman Oaks) press person. “I’m sure he’d give you an answer if you pressed him on the issue.”
A good idea if it weren’t for the fact I am 3,000 miles away.
Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) was undecided.
About the only ones who took a stand, at least in the House of Representatives, were the GOP leadership.
“This bill doesn’t have all the answers,” Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield), the House Majority Leader said Monday afternoon at a capitol news conference. “This bill does however cut spending, this bill does have accountability.”
Rep. David Dreier (R – San Dimas), Chair of the House Rules Committee, made the same pitch on the House floor.
“This is the 76th time we have raised the debt ceiling since 1962, he said.
But it is the very first time in nearly 50 years we have done so while making corresponding cuts in spending that exceed the ceiling increase.”
So who were they trying to convince? Democrats?
That’s Nancy Pelosi’s job.
The compromise package raises the debt limit, but while it also results in cuts in federal spending, there isn’t enough for many budget hawks.
GOP staffers say they have the votes. We'll see what happens on Tuesday.
