How deep is GOP fracture on debt ceiling? Cracks appearing in tea party, too.
| Washington
Cracks in the tea pot? House Republicans can鈥檛 agree on how to handle the debt ceiling, and that, apparently, also goes for tea party conservatives 鈥� usually a pretty united bunch when it comes to red-ink issues.
But on Wednesday, Rep. Ra煤l Labrador (R) of Idaho spoke the unspeakable. Give up the fight on the debt ceiling 鈥� it鈥檚 one Republicans can鈥檛 win, said the congressman with a 98 percent rating from Club for Growth. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want us to just claim we鈥檙e fighting for something and then capitulate in the end,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he American people are tired of that game.鈥�
What? No battle to the death over raising the nation鈥檚 debt ceiling, which must be increased by the end of the month or the US risks default? In 2011, Republicans extracted a pound of flesh 鈥� i.e. $1 trillion in budget cuts, known as the 鈥渟equester鈥� 鈥� in exchange for raising the debt ceiling, a routine matter in the past.
They played hardball again in September, resulting in a partial government shutdown over the president鈥檚 Affordable Care Act 鈥� a move that angered many Americans and caused a sharp drop in Republican approval ratings.
Mr. Labrador鈥檚 alternative this time? Let Senate Democrats pass a 鈥渃lean,鈥� no-strings-attached increase in the debt limit 鈥� and take the blame for lack of fiscal restraint. 鈥淚鈥檓 just being realistic,鈥� he concluded.
It is a realism that has split the tea party in two high-profile votes 鈥� a bipartisan budget agreement last December and the omnibus spending bill in January.
The outspoken Labrador was defending his idea at a monthly 鈥渃onversations with conservatives鈥� media hour in a Capitol Hill hearing room, where the odor of fried fast-food takeout seemed to confirm the 鈥渆veryman鈥� credentials of the speakers.
Rep. Joe Barton (R) of Texas wasn鈥檛 buying Labrador鈥檚 strategy, however. 鈥淚 understand the pragmatic approach,鈥� he politely said. But 鈥渁 clean debt ceiling I think is capitulation, and I didn鈥檛 get elected by the Sixth District of Texas to come here to Washington and capitulate.鈥�
Surely, he posited in his clear, steady voice, as a price for supporting a debt-ceiling increase, Republicans can come up with a set of budget or entitlement reforms that Americans and even some Democrats and the president can support 鈥� budget caps, perhaps, or a change in the way Social Security inflation adjustments are figured.
Easier said than done. It is precisely the shape of such a package that is confounding House Republican leaders as they try to decide how to respond to the looming debt-limit deadline without pitching the country into a default crisis.
Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R) of Kansas offered another perspective on the fight for principles. Conservatives are frustrated that the Republican leadership walked with them through the shutdown, and then walked away. After it was over, House Speaker John Boehner blasted outside tea party groups for pushing a disastrous strategy, which he has said he never agreed with. That鈥檚 鈥渄ispiriting,鈥� Mr. Huelskamp said.
No quibble from Labrador on that one. He was part of a failed attempt to oust the speaker in 2013 and says the House GOP needs bold, visionary leaders. Indeed, he told the publication 鈥淐Q Roll Call鈥� that Mr. Boehner should lose his speakership if he pursues immigration reform this year.
