Rand Paul successful in getting senate to focus on debt ceiling

[jct74]

Senate Cancels Consideration Of Libya Resolution Over GOP Objections On Budget Talks
by Amanda Terkel
Posted: 07/ 5/11 04:20 PM ET

WASHINGTON -- Republicans, led by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), successfully forced the Senate to drop consideration of a resolution on Libya Tuesday in order to focus on budget negotiations and raising the debt ceiling.

A Republican aide familiar with the situation said that 37 senators -- more than half of the GOP caucus -- said they would vote against the motion to proceed on the Libya resolution, which would grant congressional approval for President Obama to continue military operations in the conflict.

"The Senate was scheduled today at 5:00 to vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to the bipartisan Libya resolution. ... I've spoken with the Republican leader just a short time ago, and we've agreed -- notwithstanding the broad support for the Libya resolution -- the most important thing for us to focus on this week is the budget," said Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on the floor about an hour and a half before they were set to consider the Libya measure.

Paul had threatened to filibuster all Senate business until the chamber debated the debt limit.

...

"The president has been fighting this unconstitutional war in Libya for over 90 days now," said Paul spokeswoman Moira Bagley. "We wanted to discuss this 90 days ago. We've sent him a number of letters. We very much voiced our opposition to the unconstitutional war that the president is fighting. At this point, he isn't listening to Congress, and we want to move on to the budget stuff."

Read more:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/05/senate-libya-gop-budget_n_890431.html

 

[musicmax]

The problem with Sen. Paul's debt ceiling proposal is that even if the Senate and House pass a Balanced Budget Amendment, it would not go into effect until ratified by 38 state legislatures, which could take years.

The Senate could instead actually pass a balanced budget TODAY by reverting government spending to FY 2003 levels.

Anything else - including a BBA - is just posturing.

 

[Seraphim]

"We wanted to discuss this 90 days ago. We've sent him a number of letters. We very much voiced our opposition to the unconstitutional war that the president is fighting. At this point, he isn't listening to Congress, and we want to move on to the budget stuff."


That irks me...he won't listen...so move on?

 

[Napoleon's Shadow]

The problem with Sen. Paul's debt ceiling proposal is that even if the Senate and House pass a Balanced Budget Amendment, it would not go into effect until ratified by 38 state legislatures, which could take years.

Yes but it would be much easier to pass in each State legislature.

The Senate could instead actually pass a balanced budget TODAY by reverting government spending to FY 2003 levels.

But they won't do that.