Sen. John McCain was interviewed on Bloomberg TV this morning, shortly before he and 73 other Senators swallowed hard and voted to approve the debt ceiling/deficit reduction deal.
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Showing posts with label U.S. debt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label U.S. debt. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
WATCH: Sen. Kyl's Incendiary Floor Speech Announcing Plan To Fight Debt Ceiling Deal Trigger
I previously described a bit of Arizona Senator Jon Kyl's fiery speech on the Senate floor just before the vote on the debt ceiling/deficit reduction deal. Rather than cut and paste it here, check out that link.
But here is the link to the speech itself. It is a 7-minute speech and C-Span has not yet made the video "embeddable". It is worth a watch.
UPDATE: It is now embeddable:
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
But here is the link to the speech itself. It is a 7-minute speech and C-Span has not yet made the video "embeddable". It is worth a watch.
UPDATE: It is now embeddable:
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
Arizona Senators Vote "Yes" On Debt Ceiling/Deficit Reduction Deal; Kyl Announces Plan To Undermine It
Arizona's Senators "swallowed hard" (McCain's words) and voted to approve the debt ceiling/deficit reduction deal, and Sen. Jon Kyl set out his plans to undermine it in his floor speech shortly before the vote. Kyl and Sen. John McCain were among the 74 Senators to vote "aye" and to send it to the President; 26 Senators voted "nay".
Kyl, the Senate Minority Whip who is retiring from the Senate at the end of next year, gave a bitter speech blaming the White House and the "tax and spend" Democrats for the across-the-board cuts that will be triggered if the Congressional committee cannot agree on further deficit-reduction measures. He stated that he would tell members of the so-called "Super Congress" that the debate should be "taken to the American people" and that he would not countenance the "armageddon" that the automatic cuts to the Defense Department would cause.
Kyl indicated he would - if necessary - urge his "colleagues to disregard this provision". He acknowledged that the Congressional negotiators should not have approved the trigger, but said the President nearly violated his oath of office by including it in negotiations. Kyl said he would vote for the measure because his no vote would not change the outcome, but that he would continue fighting it.
The legislation now goes to the President's desk for signature.
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Kyl, the Senate Minority Whip who is retiring from the Senate at the end of next year, gave a bitter speech blaming the White House and the "tax and spend" Democrats for the across-the-board cuts that will be triggered if the Congressional committee cannot agree on further deficit-reduction measures. He stated that he would tell members of the so-called "Super Congress" that the debate should be "taken to the American people" and that he would not countenance the "armageddon" that the automatic cuts to the Defense Department would cause.
Kyl indicated he would - if necessary - urge his "colleagues to disregard this provision". He acknowledged that the Congressional negotiators should not have approved the trigger, but said the President nearly violated his oath of office by including it in negotiations. Kyl said he would vote for the measure because his no vote would not change the outcome, but that he would continue fighting it.
The legislation now goes to the President's desk for signature.
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Monday, August 1, 2011
WATCH. READ: Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' Statement On Debt Ceiling Vote
Here is the news release which just came out from Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' office:
U.S. REP. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS CASTS FIRST HOUSE VOTE SINCE JAN. 8 SHOOTING
Congresswoman travels to Washington to support bipartisan bill to avoid default
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords returned to Congress today to vote in favor of legislation that will avoid a default by the U.S. government.
It was the first vote she has cast since she was shot and critically wounded on Jan. 8 while meeting with her constituents in Tucson.
“I have closely followed the debate over our debt ceiling and have been deeply disappointed at what’s going on in Washington,” Giffords said. “After weeks of failed debate in Washington, I was pleased to see a solution to this crisis emerge. I strongly believe that crossing the aisle for the good of the American people is more important than party politics. I had to be here for this vote. I could not take the chance that my absence could crash our economy.”
In December 2009 and again in February 2010, Giffords refused to go along with an increase in the debt limit. But this vote was substantially different, with the strength of the U.S. economy hanging in the balance.
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DEBT CEILING COVERAGE, Arizona Delegation Updates: Monday, Aug. 1
I posted Sen. McCain's TV interviews from this a.m. separately, but am now going to post our (somewhat) daily compilation (in progress) thread. As always, if you find anything that should be included, or have any corrections or complaints, please drop me an e-mail!
VOTE IN HOUSE: Passed 269-161. Arizona's delegation voted as follows:
YES: Giffords, Gosar
NO: Grijalva, Flake, Schweikert, Franks, Quayle, Pastor
Giffords, Rep. Gabrielle (D-CD8): Very exciting to read that Rep. Giffords is there to cast her 1st vote since the attempted assassination! Arizona's Dan Nowicki breaks it: http://bit.ly/oZZuaS
Parenthetically, I e-mailed Giffords' office earlier today to attempt to find out what was going on. Dang those reporters on the ground!!!
Gosar, Rep. Paul (R-CD1): Rep. Gosar just (3:30p.m., AZT) issued a news release that he will vote for the deal (momentarily... maybe). Here's his statement:
Schweikert, Rep. David (R-CD5): As of this p.m. (1:00p.m., AZT), Rep. Schweikert is still "leaning no". He did an in-depth interview with MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan, and indicated that his biggest hang-up about the deal is that only $21 billion of the spending cuts in the coming year.
Kyl, Sen. Jon (R-AZ): A National Review reporter - Andrew Stiles - tweets that he asked the Republican Whip if he would like to be included in the so-called "Super Congress" (the committee that will try to come up with the next round of deficit reduction measures). Stiles reports Kyl's response as "not really". Somewhat surprising, since I recall the Senator's news conference announcing that he would not be running for re-election, at which he spoke enthusiastically about how being freed up from the pressure of a campaign would allow him to better tackle some of the tough issues. Including deficit reduction.
Gosar, Rep. Paul (R-CD1): Gosar tweeted (re-tweeted) at approximatel 10:45a.m. (AZT): "A Balanced Budget Amendment is the only way to stop the explosion of debt."
A Washington Post reporter - Felecia Somnez - tweets that freshman Rep. Paul Gosar is "still reading" about the deal. When asked about the process, he reportedly said "Seems like bureaucracy at its finest."
Quayle, Rep. Ben (R-CD3): Rep. Quayle has asked Tweeters to let him know what they think about the deal on the table. I'm not sure what link to give you to view the responses, but the ones I saw seem to be split about evenly.
Schweikert, Rep. David (R-CD5): Rep. Schweikert was on Bloomberg TV and CNBC's "Squawk Box" this morning. He thinks the deal will pass but is not yet sure how he'll vote on it.
TheHill.com has Schweikert as "leaning no."
Franks, Rep. Trent (R-CD2): Rep. Franks also re-tweeted the one sentence mentioned in the Gosar section, about the Balanced Budget Amendment (at approx 10:00a.m., AZT).
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
VOTE IN HOUSE: Passed 269-161. Arizona's delegation voted as follows:
YES: Giffords, Gosar
NO: Grijalva, Flake, Schweikert, Franks, Quayle, Pastor
Giffords, Rep. Gabrielle (D-CD8): Very exciting to read that Rep. Giffords is there to cast her 1st vote since the attempted assassination! Arizona's Dan Nowicki breaks it: http://bit.ly/oZZuaS
Parenthetically, I e-mailed Giffords' office earlier today to attempt to find out what was going on. Dang those reporters on the ground!!!
Gosar, Rep. Paul (R-CD1): Rep. Gosar just (3:30p.m., AZT) issued a news release that he will vote for the deal (momentarily... maybe). Here's his statement:
Grijalva, Rep. Raul (D-CD7): "All take and no give... is not a compromise." That is the condensed quote from Rep. Grijalva at a press conference this afternoon with the Congressioal Progressive Caucus.“Our nation’s debt and spending crisis is like a super tanker. In order to bring a supertanker to a stop, its engines are typically cut off about 15 miles from port. In order to change direction even slightly, the captain has to start the maneuver miles ahead of time. The current bill is a change in direction. But we cannot stop this “supertanker of debt” tonight, in one vote. Our Supertanker of Debt was created over the last 10 years or more. We cannot undo a decade of wasteful spending in one night. I plan on voting for the Budget Control Act tonight even though it is far from perfect. We cannot expect perfection when the Senate and the White House is fighting us on even acknowledging the severity of the problem. The Senate has not even passed a budget in 824 days.I preferred the Cut, Cap and Balance Act. I heard the people loud and clear. This bill is far from perfect, but it is actually a milestone of progress. The people spoke in November and sent me to DC. We have heard you. We will continue to listen.”
Schweikert, Rep. David (R-CD5): As of this p.m. (1:00p.m., AZT), Rep. Schweikert is still "leaning no". He did an in-depth interview with MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan, and indicated that his biggest hang-up about the deal is that only $21 billion of the spending cuts in the coming year.
Kyl, Sen. Jon (R-AZ): A National Review reporter - Andrew Stiles - tweets that he asked the Republican Whip if he would like to be included in the so-called "Super Congress" (the committee that will try to come up with the next round of deficit reduction measures). Stiles reports Kyl's response as "not really". Somewhat surprising, since I recall the Senator's news conference announcing that he would not be running for re-election, at which he spoke enthusiastically about how being freed up from the pressure of a campaign would allow him to better tackle some of the tough issues. Including deficit reduction.
Gosar, Rep. Paul (R-CD1): Gosar tweeted (re-tweeted) at approximatel 10:45a.m. (AZT): "A Balanced Budget Amendment is the only way to stop the explosion of debt."
A Washington Post reporter - Felecia Somnez - tweets that freshman Rep. Paul Gosar is "still reading" about the deal. When asked about the process, he reportedly said "Seems like bureaucracy at its finest."
Quayle, Rep. Ben (R-CD3): Rep. Quayle has asked Tweeters to let him know what they think about the deal on the table. I'm not sure what link to give you to view the responses, but the ones I saw seem to be split about evenly.
Schweikert, Rep. David (R-CD5): Rep. Schweikert was on Bloomberg TV and CNBC's "Squawk Box" this morning. He thinks the deal will pass but is not yet sure how he'll vote on it.
TheHill.com has Schweikert as "leaning no."
Franks, Rep. Trent (R-CD2): Rep. Franks also re-tweeted the one sentence mentioned in the Gosar section, about the Balanced Budget Amendment (at approx 10:00a.m., AZT).
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
WATCH: Sen. McCain This A.M. On CBS and Fox; Obama Can No Longer Talk About "Corporate Jets and Billionaires"
Arizona Senator John McCain (R-AZ) did not claim victory for the GOP in the debt ceiling deal that is now headed to both the House and the Senate later today. Nevertheless, he is pretty pleased with it and praised Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for setting out the basic framework a couple of weeks ago. He was on CBS News' "The Early Show" this morning. Embedding of the video is not available, but here is the link.
He did go a bit further on "Fox & Friends", where he noted that the deal - by not including closing tax loopholes - removes President Obama's ability to campaign on "corporate jets and billionaires and all that".
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He did go a bit further on "Fox & Friends", where he noted that the deal - by not including closing tax loopholes - removes President Obama's ability to campaign on "corporate jets and billionaires and all that".
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
DEBT CEILING COVERAGE, Arizona Delegation Updates: Sunday - Deal Emerging Edition
Kyl, Sen. Jon (R-AZ): Sen. Kyl, the Senate Minority Whip, was on Fox News Sunday (with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL).
Grijalva, Rep. Raul (D-CD7): Rep. Grijalva, the co-chair of the Progressive Caucus in the House, released a statement blistering the emerging deal. Needless to say, he will likely be a "no" vote. The full statement is after the jump, but here's the concluding paragraph: "This deal is a cure as bad as the disease. I reject it, and the American people reject it. The only thing left to do now is repair the damage as soon as possible.”
McCain, Sen. John (R-AZ): Not to be left out, Sen. McCain engaged the aforementioned Dick Durbin in a 14-minute colloquy on the Senate floor this morning.
Grijalva, Rep. Raul (D-CD7): Rep. Grijalva, the co-chair of the Progressive Caucus in the House, released a statement blistering the emerging deal. Needless to say, he will likely be a "no" vote. The full statement is after the jump, but here's the concluding paragraph: "This deal is a cure as bad as the disease. I reject it, and the American people reject it. The only thing left to do now is repair the damage as soon as possible.”
McCain, Sen. John (R-AZ): Not to be left out, Sen. McCain engaged the aforementioned Dick Durbin in a 14-minute colloquy on the Senate floor this morning.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
DEBT CEILING COVERAGE, Arizona Delegation: Some Catch-up items
I haven't had too much time to sit down at the computer the last few days - certainly not as much time as I would like to given the circumstances. So, here are a few things from the e-mail box and the twitter feeds and the Google-monster that I would like to post. As always, if you know of something that you think should be included, drop me an e-mail - I'd love to include it!
***
Quayle, Ben (R-CD3): Quayle was interviewed by Fox News' Neil Cavuto this morning (Saturday, 8:15a.m., AZT). Below the video are some quotes pulled by Quayle's office.
On the long-term fiscal situation:
"We need to move our country in the right fiscal direction. We can’t be saying, ok look S&P and Moody’s might downgrade us. We have to make the best decisions to try and make sure that we are tackling our fiscal problems.”
***
Schweikert, Davide (R-CD5): Rep. Schweikert released an angry statement this (Saturday) afternoon. Here it is:
“While our economy is on the brink of a debt disaster, it is unconscionable that President Obama and the Senate Majority still refuse any plan that will not give the president a blank check.
“The House of Representatives did the heavy lifting and passed a bipartisan plan, yet President Obama’s calls for ‘compromise’ seem to ignore this reality.
“The Reid plan borders on embarrassing. It is full of smoke and mirrors instead of common sense and math. It will have a disastrous impact on our military, does not cut close to the amount it hikes, and advertises $1 trillion in phantom cuts.
“Senator Reid continues to play games and disregard the will of the People’s House. It is clear that President Obama and the Senate Majority just don’t get it.”
***
Gosar, Paul (R-CD1) : Rep. Gosar released a statement last night (Friday), after passage of the Boehner bill:
***
Quayle, Ben (R-CD3): Quayle was interviewed by Fox News' Neil Cavuto this morning (Saturday, 8:15a.m., AZT). Below the video are some quotes pulled by Quayle's office.
On Speaker Boehner’s bill:
“The plan that we put forth in the House, it was not going
to solve all of the problems that we have, but this is going to take time… This
is what the Boehner bill did. We had caps on spending; we had a balanced Budget
Amendment. I voted for it and I think it was the right step.”On the long-term fiscal situation:
"We need to move our country in the right fiscal direction. We can’t be saying, ok look S&P and Moody’s might downgrade us. We have to make the best decisions to try and make sure that we are tackling our fiscal problems.”
On differences within the Republican Party:
“We are all in this together. We all have the same ideals and
we’re looking to push that same ideals. We have different strategy. Some people
try to get it all at once. Others are trying to say— hey look, we understand
where we are. We don’t have the Senate, we don’t have the White House. Let’s
get what we can get and move the country in the right direction. So, I don’t
think there is really any schism of ideology. It’s just a difference of opinion
in strategy. “***
Schweikert, Davide (R-CD5): Rep. Schweikert released an angry statement this (Saturday) afternoon. Here it is:
“While our economy is on the brink of a debt disaster, it is unconscionable that President Obama and the Senate Majority still refuse any plan that will not give the president a blank check.
“The House of Representatives did the heavy lifting and passed a bipartisan plan, yet President Obama’s calls for ‘compromise’ seem to ignore this reality.
“The Reid plan borders on embarrassing. It is full of smoke and mirrors instead of common sense and math. It will have a disastrous impact on our military, does not cut close to the amount it hikes, and advertises $1 trillion in phantom cuts.
“Senator Reid continues to play games and disregard the will of the People’s House. It is clear that President Obama and the Senate Majority just don’t get it.”
***
Gosar, Paul (R-CD1) : Rep. Gosar released a statement last night (Friday), after passage of the Boehner bill:
“I’ve said all
along, default is not an option for our country. The plan that offered the best
solution was Cut, Cap and Balance, however, the Senate refused to even vote on
that. We are forced to provide a compromise, which Speaker Boehner has forged
that overall cuts more in spending than gives in debt ceiling increases. This
conservative plan still moves the nation on a path to fiscal responsibility.”
“A year ago Congress only talked about tax increases and more failed stimulus plans. Now we are talking about, and voting on, measures that restore fiscal sanity. We are moving our country forward.”
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
WATCH: McCain's Initial Speech Deriding Tea Party, Balanced Budget Amendment Requirement, Tax Raisers and President
Arizona Senator John McCain (R-AZ) made front-page news a couple of days ago when he derided some conservative Republicans and Tea Party followers for insisting on a balanced budget amendment being part of the debt ceiling negotiations. Here is his initial speech on the floor of the Senate, on Wednesday night.
In reviewing this speech, it becomes apparent that - yes, he DOES agree that the Tea Partier's insistence on a balanced budget amendment is unreasonable given the lack of votes for it. However, he does it in the context of criticizing all the sides that he felt were holding up a resolution of the situation.
The following day, McCain seemed to backtrack somewhat when he went on Sean Hannity's Fox News show, though he did not backtrack as far as Hannity would have liked him to.
Finally, here is his interview on Greta Van Susteren's Fox News show on Friday night.
In conclusion, Sen. McCain was very consistent in urging the President, the Democrats, and those in the Republican party to come to what he believed (believes) is the best solution. And, as of tonight, it seems very possible that McCain's proposal might be the one that the party's move towards on Sunday. (Hmmm, who is going to be on the Sunday talk shows?)
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
In reviewing this speech, it becomes apparent that - yes, he DOES agree that the Tea Partier's insistence on a balanced budget amendment is unreasonable given the lack of votes for it. However, he does it in the context of criticizing all the sides that he felt were holding up a resolution of the situation.
The following day, McCain seemed to backtrack somewhat when he went on Sean Hannity's Fox News show, though he did not backtrack as far as Hannity would have liked him to.
Finally, here is his interview on Greta Van Susteren's Fox News show on Friday night.
In conclusion, Sen. McCain was very consistent in urging the President, the Democrats, and those in the Republican party to come to what he believed (believes) is the best solution. And, as of tonight, it seems very possible that McCain's proposal might be the one that the party's move towards on Sunday. (Hmmm, who is going to be on the Sunday talk shows?)
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
DEBT CEILING COVERAGE: Arizona Delegation Updates, Sat./Sun.
I will try to post 'em as I can find 'em - but, if you have any that you
would like to see included, please shoot me an e-mail at info@arizonaspolitics.com.
Kyl, Jon (R-AZ): Arizona's junior Senator delivered the Republican's weekly response this morning (Saturday). He delivered a speech blaming President Obama for not understanding that this is an "opportunity" to "rein in spending". ("President Obama is simply too committed to the European style of big government that his policies have set in motion." "...raise taxes and keep on spending.")
McCain, John (R-AZ): Arizona's senior Senator sat down with Fox News' Greta Van Susteren last night. He repeats his softened criticism of those Republicans who have been holding out for a balanced budget amendment. "Let's be honest with the American people. We have to have a balanced budget amendment.... But, I have to be honest with my constituents and tell them that this Senate is not going to pass it, but we can't give up the fight."
Here's a good article in today's Arizona Republic, from Dan Nowicki and Erin Kelly, with comments from many in the Arizona delegation, including the oft-ignored House Democrats (Pastor and Grijalva).
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
Kyl, Jon (R-AZ): Arizona's junior Senator delivered the Republican's weekly response this morning (Saturday). He delivered a speech blaming President Obama for not understanding that this is an "opportunity" to "rein in spending". ("President Obama is simply too committed to the European style of big government that his policies have set in motion." "...raise taxes and keep on spending.")
McCain, John (R-AZ): Arizona's senior Senator sat down with Fox News' Greta Van Susteren last night. He repeats his softened criticism of those Republicans who have been holding out for a balanced budget amendment. "Let's be honest with the American people. We have to have a balanced budget amendment.... But, I have to be honest with my constituents and tell them that this Senate is not going to pass it, but we can't give up the fight."
Here's a good article in today's Arizona Republic, from Dan Nowicki and Erin Kelly, with comments from many in the Arizona delegation, including the oft-ignored House Democrats (Pastor and Grijalva).
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
Friday, July 29, 2011
DEBT CEILING COVERAGE: Arizona Delegation Updates, Fri. 7/29
When we had to call it a night last night, the House was just about to call it a night, Rep. Trent Franks had just invited reporters into the bathroom, and I was speculating on a Jeff Flake vs. John McCain debate on a balanced budget amendment.
I have not been able to break away (from work and other obligations) 'til now (2:00p.m., AZT), and it looks like there are a few Arizona-related developments that do not seem to be getting much attention in some of the Arizona media. Jeff Flake and Trent Franks were two of the key players in prompting the revision of the Boehner Bill that is now headed for a vote.
I will try to post 'em as I can find 'em - but, if you have any that you would like to see included, please shoot me an e-mail at info@arizonaspolitics.com.
***
Flake, Jeff (R-CD6): Rep. Flake would appear to be a big winner in the developments of the last 24 hours - if winners are chosen based upon having an effect on the eventual bill to be voted on in the House. Yesterday, he talked about his speculation that he could help maneuver a "clean" Balanced Budget Amendment into the mix when the House would take up the Senate's Reid Bill. However, he apparently goaded Boehner into adding it into his bill instead.
Here's Flake's Tweet from approximately 8:30a.m.(AZT): "Good news. Looks like Boehner bill will now include BBA. Now it cuts, it caps, it balances. If so, I'm for it."
From the Associated Press article carried on the Arizona Republic's website this afternoon (1:00p.m., AZT): "With conservatives insisting on the addition of a balanced-budget amendment requirement, Speaker Boehner's bill will now cut, cap and balance" federal spending, said Rep. Jeff Flake of Arizona as Friday's scheduled vote approached.
An interview with Flake is featured on NPR's "All Things Considered" this afternoon. Audio is not yet available online, but can be heard on KJZZ, KUAT, and KNAU.
Flake news release: “The ball will now be in the Senate’s court. If the Boehner bill is dead-on-arrival, as Senator Reid has said, I hope they’ll send us a plan of their own so that we can make improvements to it.”
Franks, Trent (R-CD2): Franks was one of the couple of dozen (or so) Republican votes that Boehner could not rely on to vote for his bill yesterday. Today, Franks will be a "yes" vote. At about 1:30p.m. (AZT) this afternoon, a CBS News reporter tweeted that the Balanced Budget Amendment addition swung Franks.
Franks is being quoted by a Fox Radio reporter (Todd Starnes) as saying: "I think Harry Reid will do the most-malicious thing possible to this bill." (To my knowledge, Reid has only said that the Senate will vote it down.)
Quayle, Ben (R-CD3): News release with quote from Quayle:
“I came to Washington with two main goals in mind: getting the economy going again and reducing the size and scope of government. I will vote for the Budget Control Act because I am committed to these goals. While it’s not perfect, the Budget Control Act is an important first step that puts in place structural spending reforms and cuts, requires passage of a balanced budget amendment, stands firm against tax increases and ensures that America pays its bills."
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
I have not been able to break away (from work and other obligations) 'til now (2:00p.m., AZT), and it looks like there are a few Arizona-related developments that do not seem to be getting much attention in some of the Arizona media. Jeff Flake and Trent Franks were two of the key players in prompting the revision of the Boehner Bill that is now headed for a vote.
I will try to post 'em as I can find 'em - but, if you have any that you would like to see included, please shoot me an e-mail at info@arizonaspolitics.com.
***
Flake, Jeff (R-CD6): Rep. Flake would appear to be a big winner in the developments of the last 24 hours - if winners are chosen based upon having an effect on the eventual bill to be voted on in the House. Yesterday, he talked about his speculation that he could help maneuver a "clean" Balanced Budget Amendment into the mix when the House would take up the Senate's Reid Bill. However, he apparently goaded Boehner into adding it into his bill instead.
Here's Flake's Tweet from approximately 8:30a.m.(AZT): "Good news. Looks like Boehner bill will now include BBA. Now it cuts, it caps, it balances. If so, I'm for it."
From the Associated Press article carried on the Arizona Republic's website this afternoon (1:00p.m., AZT): "With conservatives insisting on the addition of a balanced-budget amendment requirement, Speaker Boehner's bill will now cut, cap and balance" federal spending, said Rep. Jeff Flake of Arizona as Friday's scheduled vote approached.
An interview with Flake is featured on NPR's "All Things Considered" this afternoon. Audio is not yet available online, but can be heard on KJZZ, KUAT, and KNAU.
Flake news release: “The ball will now be in the Senate’s court. If the Boehner bill is dead-on-arrival, as Senator Reid has said, I hope they’ll send us a plan of their own so that we can make improvements to it.”
Franks, Trent (R-CD2): Franks was one of the couple of dozen (or so) Republican votes that Boehner could not rely on to vote for his bill yesterday. Today, Franks will be a "yes" vote. At about 1:30p.m. (AZT) this afternoon, a CBS News reporter tweeted that the Balanced Budget Amendment addition swung Franks.
Franks is being quoted by a Fox Radio reporter (Todd Starnes) as saying: "I think Harry Reid will do the most-malicious thing possible to this bill." (To my knowledge, Reid has only said that the Senate will vote it down.)
Quayle, Ben (R-CD3): News release with quote from Quayle:
“I came to Washington with two main goals in mind: getting the economy going again and reducing the size and scope of government. I will vote for the Budget Control Act because I am committed to these goals. While it’s not perfect, the Budget Control Act is an important first step that puts in place structural spending reforms and cuts, requires passage of a balanced budget amendment, stands firm against tax increases and ensures that America pays its bills."
“Importantly, the Budget Control Act achieves our long-standing demand that spending reductions be greater than any debt ceiling increase. And unlike Senator Harry Reid’s plan, the reductions and caps are real."
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
DEBT CEILING COVERAGE: Arizona Delegation Updates
With the House of Representatives debating this afternoon (now in indefinite recess), and many divergent viewpoints, I am trying to compile where our 10 Arizona Congresspeople (Representatives and Senators) are at this moment. If you have some links or info, please e-mail me (info@ArizonasPolitics.com). Thanks.
Flake, Jeff (R-CD6): Rep. Flake - who is running for the Senate next year - has been moved (by the National Journal) from "undecided" to "leans no". ABC reporter Tweets (3:00p.m., AZ Time) that Flake and Franks each had "private conversations" with Speaker Boehner and declined to comment to press afterwards.
This afternoon (1:08p.m., AZ Time), The Hill indicated that Flake was still leaning no and that he was thinking about other chess moves for the GOP - that the Senate should pass Reid's plan, then the House could attach a "clean balanced budget amendment" and pressure the Senate with it as the Aug. 2 deadline looms larger.
Franks, Trent (R-CD2): Rep. Franks has nothing from today on his website or his Twitter feed, as of 1:53p.m. (Arizona Time). And, a Washington Post article posted this morning lists Franks as "publicly undecided." The National Journal lists Franks as a "no" vote. ABC reporter Tweets (3:00p.m., AZ Time) that Flake and Franks each had "private conversations" with Speaker Boehner and declined to comment to press afterwards.
Gosar, Paul (R-CD1): Rep. Gosar was among the 20-30 House Republican freshmen who participated in a news conference this morning supporting the Boehner proposal. Facing the picture below, he is to the right of center. He did not speak, and has not issued any statements. He did "re-Tweet" Speaker Boehner's message claiming that he had the "only serious proposal."
Quayle, Ben (R-CD3): Webpage, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook silent, as of 1:37p.m. (AZ Time). However, the Washington Post political columnists Chris Cillizza and Aaron Blake identified him (and Jeff Flake) as one of the 5 to watch today: "The Arizona freshman has said he would withhold a decision until the final bill came out, but his time to make a decision is rapidly running out. Quayle is just the sort of conservative establishment type — his father, Dan, was a senator from Indiana and vice president — that Boehner has to have to get to 217 votes."
Schweikert, David (R-CD5): Rep. Schweikert is among the House Republican freshman. Yesterday, he indicated that he was "leaning no" regarding the Boehner plan. This morning, he was on CNBC: "I'm holding out 'til the last moment, to see if I can get one last (spoken over)...." (4:58 into video) http://youtu.be/ts74YQCx9NE . The National Journal lists Schweikert as "publicly undecided".
*
Giffords
Grijalva, Raul (D-CD7): The co-chair of the House Progressive Caucus, Rep. Grijalva spoke briefly today at a press conference rally to urge Congress to protect against cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
In his constituent newsletter yesterday, Grijalva suggested that the GOP is simply trying to cut programs they have been trying to eliminate: "They're using their manufactured crisis to try to cut important programs - like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security - that they've tried to eliminate for years. They're trying to tell us these programs, not the wars and upper income tax cuts of the past 10 years, are why we have a deficit. That's simply not true. In 2001, decades after these programs were created, we had a budget surplus of $258 billion. What changed? Well, I don't have to remind you of the last 10 years. We launched two wars and gave taxpayer money to corporations to destroy the economy."
Pastor
*
Kyl
McCain
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
Flake, Jeff (R-CD6): Rep. Flake - who is running for the Senate next year - has been moved (by the National Journal) from "undecided" to "leans no". ABC reporter Tweets (3:00p.m., AZ Time) that Flake and Franks each had "private conversations" with Speaker Boehner and declined to comment to press afterwards.
This afternoon (1:08p.m., AZ Time), The Hill indicated that Flake was still leaning no and that he was thinking about other chess moves for the GOP - that the Senate should pass Reid's plan, then the House could attach a "clean balanced budget amendment" and pressure the Senate with it as the Aug. 2 deadline looms larger.
Franks, Trent (R-CD2): Rep. Franks has nothing from today on his website or his Twitter feed, as of 1:53p.m. (Arizona Time). And, a Washington Post article posted this morning lists Franks as "publicly undecided." The National Journal lists Franks as a "no" vote. ABC reporter Tweets (3:00p.m., AZ Time) that Flake and Franks each had "private conversations" with Speaker Boehner and declined to comment to press afterwards.
Gosar, Paul (R-CD1): Rep. Gosar was among the 20-30 House Republican freshmen who participated in a news conference this morning supporting the Boehner proposal. Facing the picture below, he is to the right of center. He did not speak, and has not issued any statements. He did "re-Tweet" Speaker Boehner's message claiming that he had the "only serious proposal."
Quayle, Ben (R-CD3): Webpage, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook silent, as of 1:37p.m. (AZ Time). However, the Washington Post political columnists Chris Cillizza and Aaron Blake identified him (and Jeff Flake) as one of the 5 to watch today: "The Arizona freshman has said he would withhold a decision until the final bill came out, but his time to make a decision is rapidly running out. Quayle is just the sort of conservative establishment type — his father, Dan, was a senator from Indiana and vice president — that Boehner has to have to get to 217 votes."
Schweikert, David (R-CD5): Rep. Schweikert is among the House Republican freshman. Yesterday, he indicated that he was "leaning no" regarding the Boehner plan. This morning, he was on CNBC: "I'm holding out 'til the last moment, to see if I can get one last (spoken over)...." (4:58 into video) http://youtu.be/ts74YQCx9NE . The National Journal lists Schweikert as "publicly undecided".
*
Giffords
Grijalva, Raul (D-CD7): The co-chair of the House Progressive Caucus, Rep. Grijalva spoke briefly today at a press conference rally to urge Congress to protect against cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
In his constituent newsletter yesterday, Grijalva suggested that the GOP is simply trying to cut programs they have been trying to eliminate: "They're using their manufactured crisis to try to cut important programs - like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security - that they've tried to eliminate for years. They're trying to tell us these programs, not the wars and upper income tax cuts of the past 10 years, are why we have a deficit. That's simply not true. In 2001, decades after these programs were created, we had a budget surplus of $258 billion. What changed? Well, I don't have to remind you of the last 10 years. We launched two wars and gave taxpayer money to corporations to destroy the economy."
Pastor
*
Kyl
McCain
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
READ: L.A. Times Op-Ed Featuring Ben Quayle: Tells Colleagues Must Pay Our Bills, Even If Administration Is "Fear Mongering"
Arizona Rep. Ben Quayle (R-CD3) is featured in an op-ed in today's Los Angeles Times. He is held up as an example of the group of freshmen Republicans in the House of Representatives who have had a major impact on the recent deficit-reduction negotiations tied to raising the nation's debt ceiling.
Quayle talked about the need to make sure that the U.S. does not default on payments on the debt (or Social Security, Medicare, military and veterans), but also noted that he believes that the Executive branch is "fear mongering" on the consequences of not getting the issue resolved before August 2:
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
Quayle talked about the need to make sure that the U.S. does not default on payments on the debt (or Social Security, Medicare, military and veterans), but also noted that he believes that the Executive branch is "fear mongering" on the consequences of not getting the issue resolved before August 2:
Quayle was elected with "tea party" support, but he's not a bomb-thrower; he says he's willing to vote for an increase in the debt ceiling at some point. "I do not want to have a default," he said. But he's not willing to compromise easily. The debt ceiling, he says, gives conservatives the leverage they need to force deep spending cuts. "This is the time for us to rein in federal spending," he said.
. . .
And there's a deep divide of mistrust between House conservatives and the Obama administration. Like many Republicans, Quayle says he's skeptical of the administration's claims that Aug. 2 is a real drop-dead date and that the consequences of failing to raise the debt ceiling would be catastrophic.
"There has been a lot of fear-mongering coming out of the administration," he said. Even if the debt ceiling doesn't rise, he said, "I believe we can still pay the interest on our debt, pay Social Security and Medicare, pay military salaries and veterans' benefits. And they can do some prioritization after that."
Quayle says his constituents back home in Phoenix expect him to rein in the budget — and to hang tough.
"Some don't want us to raise the debt ceiling at all," he said. "I tell them that even though we don't like the debt that's been accumulated, we need to honor it. You have a teenager who misuses a credit card, you tear up the card, but you still have to pay the bill."The veteran Washington reporter McManus (who wrote the op-ed) notes that Quayle and his colleagues are going to have to figure out if they can agree to a deal with most - but not all - of what they and their Tea Party supporters were looking for. (Read the entire op-ed here.)
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
Monday, July 11, 2011
WATCH: Rep. Grijalva Reacts To President Obama's News Conference On Debt/Deficit Talks
Tucson Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-CD7) was interviewed on MSNBC this morning after President Obama's news conference. He reiterated that members of the Progressive Caucus are still committed to making sure that any agreement contain tax increases as well as cuts in core social programs.
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
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