As both chambers prepare for debate this afternoon on debt deal reached by lawmakers Sunday evening, most of the attention will be focused on efforts to get conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats on board to vote yes.
Many of those who opposed the Boehner and Reid plans will likely oppose the latest proposal as well. The Cut, Cap and Balance Coalition released a statement Monday morning opposing the deal, which could offer a glimpse into how the other Cut, Cap, Balance (CCB) backer will act as well. (RELATED: Obama carefully backs debt deal)
Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, the prime sponsor of the CCB in the Senate, is a ‘No’, his spokesman told The Daily Caller on Monday.
Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida will also be voting no, TheDC has learned.
Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina will also vote ‘no,’ saying in a statement Monday, “I cannot in good conscience support this deal. Simply stated, it locks us into more debt, bigger government and most devastating of all, a weakened defense infrastructure at a time when we face growing threats.”
In the House, Rep. Joe Walsh if Illinois will also vote against the bill. And according to one GOP source, the chatter on Capitol Hill is that between 50 and 60 Republicans will vote against the deal. There are 240 Republicans in the House.
A spokesperson for Rep. Tim Scott of South Carolina told TheDC the Congressman, who voted against the Boehner plan, is still reviewing the new legislation and hasn’t come to any conclusion yet.
That means Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will need to come through with Democratic votes. Without Democrat support, it’s very likely the measure will not pass. But that is easier said than done, as the progressive caucus is not thrilled with the deal.
Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona said “This deal trades peoples livelihoods for the votes of a few unappeasable right-wing radicals, and I will not support it.
“The Democratic Party, no less than the Republican Party, is at a very serious crossroads at this moment,” the co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus added. “This deal weakens the Democratic Party as badly as it weakens the country. We have given much and received nothing in return. The lesson today is that Republicans can hold their breath long enough to get what they want.”
Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver of Missouri said of the deal that if he were a Republican, he’d be “dancing in the streets.”
But as the hours tick by, the likelihood is that more and more Democrats will come to the same conclusion as Rep. Bob Andrews, who said on MSNBC Monday morning, “I’m not happy with this deal, but I’m going to vote for it.”