Republican leadership in the House will spend most, if not all of Thursday whipping votes for Speaker John Boehner’s debt limit plan. The Republican-controlled chamber is expected to vote on the proposal by late afternoon or early evening, following at least three hours of debate, a conference meeting, and a press conference.
The vote was delayed by one day after an initial scoring by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found that the proposal’s spending cuts were less than Boehner had predicted. A second analysis released Wednesday evening revealed the plan will cut $22 billion in the next year. (RELATED: WH official predicts closed-door attempt to merge debt ceiling bill)
Independent whip counts suggest the Boehner plan will pass, though narrowly.
A count by National Journal turns up 18 Republican House members who will likely vote against the measure. A whip count by The Hill shows 22 against.
Because of vacant house seats, Boehner’s magic number is 217, meaning he can lose no more than 23 Republicans if no Democrat votes for his plan.
The Senate, meanwhile, includes 53 members who have pledged to vote against the Boehner plan. So after Thursday’s vote, the big question is whether Majority Leader Harry Reid will bring it up for a vote with little debate only to have it defeated, or send it back to the House with a string of amendments attached.
Boehner is gambling that once the House sends over his plan, the Senate will no choice but to pass it out of fear of the proximity of the August 2 deadline.