The challenge facing any plan for reducing the debt was underscored when a new Republican proposal to raise the ceiling on federal borrowing was met Monday with misgivings by some conservatives and skepticism by many GOP freshmen making many wonder if Boehner could even control his own party.
Both Boehner and Reid have offered similar plans to increase the debt ceiling. The two leaders, however, remained bitterly divided over Boehner’s demand to hold another vote next year to further expand the government’s borrowing authority.
With financial markets warily watching the Capitol Hill drama, Obama used his 15-minute address from the White House to urge “shared sacrifice” in tackling the debt, calling for deep cuts in federal spending to be coupled with higher taxes on the wealthy and on large corporations.
He slammed Boehner for calling for another vote on the issue next year, saying; “We know what we have to do to reduce our deficits; there’s no point in putting the economy at risk by kicking the can further down the road.”
Boehner countered with a shorter speech from the Capitol, in which he blamed the fiscal crisis on Washington’s spending and urged deep cuts to cure it. He said Reid’s plan lacks the kind of real spending cuts needed for the government to operate within its means. “While the Senate is struggling to pass a bill filled with phony accounting and Washington gimmicks, we will pass another bill,” Boehner said, predicting his approach would prevail.
With no agreement between Boehner and Reid, the House and the Senate are headed for a high-wire act this week, and neither leader appear to be certain if they could control their respective parties if the time to vote were to come.
(아주경제 앤드류 이 기자)
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com