The House should begin voting on the debt deal around 6:30 PM ET.
The Minority Leader is supporting the deal, but isn't whipping it:
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Monday afternoon that she will "absolutely" vote for the debt-limit compromise but isn't urging other Democrats to take her lead.So, Pelosi isn't whipping her members to support the bill. But, the progressive entities that actually do the work to elect Democrats are saying vote NO.
Pelosi told told ABC's Diane Sawyer that while the deal is probably a "satan sandwich with satan fries on the side" she'll vote for the deal with Tuesday's default deadline looming.
During a long meeting with House Democrats earlier Monday, several lawmakers said Pelosi told them to vote their conscience while reminding them about the what could happen if the United States defaults on its debt obligations.
Adam Green, co-founder, Progressive Change Campaign Committee:
"This deal will kill our economy and is an attack on middle-class families. It asks nothing of the rich, will reduce middle-class jobs, and lines up Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for cuts. Today, we're putting in thousands of calls to Congress urging Democrats to keep their promise and oppose this awful bill. The 14th Amendment is unambiguous, and President Obama should invoke it to pay our nation's debt. Then Democrats should focus on jobs -- not cuts -- in order to grow our economy."Justin Ruben, Executive Director of MoveOn.org:
“This is a bad deal for our fragile economic recovery, a bad deal for the middle class and a bad deal for tackling our real long-term budget problems. It forces deep cuts to important programs that protect the middle class, but asks nothing of big corporations and millionaires. And though it does not require cuts to Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid benefits, it opens the door for these down the road via an unaccountable Congressional committee. We surveyed our 5 million members and the vast majority oppose the deal because it unfairly asks seniors and the middle class to bear the burden of the debt deal. Congress should do what it should have done long ago and what it has done dozens of times before – pass a clean debt ceiling bill.”FireDogLake is doing a whip count, noting:
A deal between President Obama and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell calls for the creation of an elite "Super Congress" to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits behind closed doors. Whatever they decide will then be fast-tracked through both chambers, where it can't be amended by simple, regular lawmakers.You won't find many progressives who will say this is a good deal for Democrats -- unless they're getting paid to say it (or want to keep their access and their invitations to Common Purpose and other "insider" events.)
This is the "Catfood Commission" on steroids.
The "Super Congress" is how Congress intends to insulate themselves from taking unpopular votes to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits -- by investing a small group of elites with extraordinary powers, and then tying their own hands from stopping them.
