Hail Mary: House GOP to Nix Senate Compromise

In breaking news: House Speaker John Boehner intends to bypass the pending Senate compromise on the dual issue of the shutdown and the debt ceiling. A risky move, to be sure; what’s not clear, though, is who is most at risk.

On first blush, Boehner’s end-run looks similar to the Reid/McConnell framework. But no; it includes the following important differences:

• The House version dispenses with the proposed bicameral budget negotiating committee;

• The House version delays the medical device tax;

• The House version removes ACA subsidies for politicians;

• The House version prevents the Treasury Department from taking extraordinary measures to avoid default;

• The House version maintains the controversial tax on insurance plans.

Needless to say, this is going to throw a material wrench into the tenuous equilibrium of last night’s ‘accord’. Each of the House’s new provisions has been rejected by Democratic leaders in past statements, and will likely be dead on arrival in the Senate.

Time, of course, is now officially at a premium. The debt authority expires in approximately 37 hours.

By: rhb

Rob is a NYC-based Internet entrepreneur. He's also a businessman and job creator (wait: doesn't demand create jobs?) who understands the sense, and the eventual predominance, of the progressive agenda.