House Speaker Boehner: last offer still on table

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WASHINGTON | Sun Jul 24, 2011 9:53am EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said on Sunday that he would prefer to unveil a bipartisan deal to raise the debt ceiling and that his last offer to Democratic President Barack Obama was still on the table.

"The preferable path would be a bipartisan plan that involves all the leaders, but it is too early to decide whether that's possible," Boehner said on Fox News Sunday. "If that's not possible, I and my Republican colleagues in the House are prepared to move on our own."

He also said that raising the debt ceiling and implementing major reforms would have to be done in two stages. "There is going to be a two-stage process. It is not physically possible to do all of this in one step."

Boehner said his offer that included some $800 billion in new tax revenue and massive spending cuts was never withdrawn. That plan was dubbed the "grand bargain" despite his decision to walk away from negotiations with Obama last week.

"I don't know, it may be pretty hard to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. My last offer is still out there. I've never taken my last offer off the table," Boehner said, noting that the White House never has agreed to it.

At the moment, however, Boehner said that the better path was working with his congressional colleagues "to put together a process" that is do-able.

(Reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky and Donna Smith, editing by Christopher Wilson)
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Comments (13)
stambo2001 wrote:
Pretty much what we all expect to happen will happen. At the last minute, in order to prevent the world ending, they will of course raise the debt ceiling with the ‘promise’ of addressing all those other silly issues later. Yeah, that later. The kick the can down the road till next time later.

Which of course means the debts will just continue march onwards, right across the Rubicon, and into complete and utter disaster.

Makes you wonder what it feels like to be President of the United States knowing you are powerless to do anything. Entire countries brought to their knees over debt to Caesar’s coin. President of nothing. Money, money, money is Master.

Jul 24, 2011 10:17am EDT  --  Report as abuse
nirmasuma wrote:
Now the future of Democrats and Republicans will NOT be decided by whether the debt limit is raised in time or not. It is too late in the game for either of them to change their position: Republicans accepting increase in any tax or Democrats accepting a shorter duration limit increase without tax increase. What will decide the issue will be whether the market on Monday collapses or not. I do not think the Speaker’s assurance that there will not be any debt default and that he would bring in a new resolution has any merit. Already three of the small rating agencies seem to have announced downgrading of US bonds. It will better if the Republicans bluff is called and market collapses. Though it will result in short term difficulties, it will show GOP and Tea Party where they belong. It is time that credible parties came to the fore to run nation’s affairs. nirmalasuman@yahoo.com

Jul 24, 2011 11:23am EDT  --  Report as abuse
cocostar wrote:
I don’t think 400 billion dollars is to much to asked from Boehner and the tea party special interest. If Boehner had any guts he would be informing his special interest pocket packers that thats the way it is. Obama is the President, not Boehner and his special interest coo!

Anyway a bipartisan appointed group of 6 recommended this tax.

In the coming election Canter’s self promoting special interest position should be made known to all the voters in his state. He is definitely NOT a leader. Similar to former R. Santorum in Pa, a total idiot that would do or say anything for his own personal position and gain!

If it looks like a kook and acts like a kook, it probably is a kook! McConnell. Santorum, and Cantor fit that description, and Boehner isn’t far off! Come to think of it his whole party looks a little kooky….? Take a good look at all your right wing politicians. Take a good look at a Fox News commentator. You can see kook and demon is almost everyone of them! Nothing but special interest lies, no direct or positive answers. Everything but the whole truth every time.

SPECIAL INTEREST POCKET PACKERS. GOLD CARPET JOB, RETIREMENT, AND MEDICAL FOR LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And to he11 with everyone else. Just like the 4% communist government that rules Russia.

Jul 24, 2011 11:24am EDT  --  Report as abuse
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