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Congress is preparing to vote on a new deal to raise the debt ceiling.  The deal was negotiated over the weekend after intense negotiations between the White House and the leaders of the House and Senate.  The deal would raise the debt ceiling by $2.4 trillion (which would be enough to last through the 2012 elections) and require immediate spending cuts.  The first round of cuts would total $1 trillion over ten years.  The second tranche would involve a “super committee” of 12 members of Congress and involve an additional $1.2 trillion to $1.5 trillion.  The weakest part of the deal is that there is no requirement that a Balanced Budget Amendment (BBA) be passed.  The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) does not believe there are enough provisions to protect the taxpayer and urges the House and Senate to vote “NO” on the deal.

On Tuesday July 19, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2560, the Cut, Cap, & Balance Act of 2011 (click here, here, and here to read previous posts on CCB).  On Friday, the Senate cut off debate on its version of cut, cap and balance, effectively killing the legislation.  If it had been passed by the Senate and signed by the President, the legislation would have forced Congress and the President to cut spending, cap spending and pass a Balanced Budget Amendment.  On the same day that the vote on H.R. 2560 took place, the Senate’s Gang of Six proposal was released. Named after the three Republican senators; Tom Coburn (Okla.), Saxby Chambliss (Georgia), and Michael Crapo (Idaho) and three Democratic senators; Kent Conrad (N.D.); Dick Durbin (Illinois) and Mark Warner (Virginia), the Gang of 6 plan is supposed to be THE bi-partisan answer to raising the debt ceiling and addressing future deficits and debt.  In reality, the plan contains massive tax increases.

On Tuesday the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2560, the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act, the only plan that finally forces the federal government to live within its means. Today (Friday July 22) the bill will be voted on in the Senate, and we need your help to pressure vulnerable Democratic Senators to support it!  (click here, here, and here to read previous posts on CCB).  There are eight Democratic Senators that may hold America’s future in their hands.  If they allow the Senate to thoroughly debate and discuss the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act– and the American people to fully engage themselves as they watch – the bill will have a fair chance to pass the Senate.  Call them all RIGHT NOW and ask them to support the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act! Senator Jon Tester- 202-224-2644; Senator Ben Nelson- 202-224-6551;Senator Joe Manchin- 202-224-3954; Senator Mark Pryor- 202-224-2353; Senator Bob Casey- 202-224-6324; Senator Debbie Stabenow- 202-224-4822; Senator Claire McCaskill- 202-224-6154; and Senator Bill Nelson- 202-224-5274.

On Tuesday July 19, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2560, the Cut, Cap, & Balance Act of 2011.  On Friday, the Senate cut off debate on its version of cut, cap and balance, effectively killing the legislation (click here, here, and here to read previous posts on CCB). If it had been passed by the Senate and signed by the President, the legislation would have forced Congress and the President to cut spending, cap spending and pass a Balanced Budget Amendment.  On the same day that the vote on H.R. 2560 took place, the Senate’s Gang of Six proposal was released. Named after the three Republican senators; Tom Coburn (Okla.), Saxby Chambliss (Georgia), and Michael Crapo (Idaho) and three Democratic senators; Kent Conrad (N.D.); Dick Durbin (Illinois) and Mark Warner (Virginia), the Gang of 6 plan is supposed to be THE bi-partisan answer to raising the debt ceiling and addressing future deficits and debt.  In reality, the plan contains massive tax increases.

Today is the day:  the House of Representatives will vote on H.R. 2560, the Cut, Cap, & Balance Act of 2011.  This legislation will force Congress and the President to cut spending, cap spending and pass a Balanced Budget Amendment. Even though Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) supports cut, cap, and balanced budget, he has his own plan that he wants passed.  Sen. McConnell’s plan (dubbed Plan B) would give the President the power to raise the debt ceiling three times to the tune of $2.5 trillion which would be enough to get them past the 2012. McConnell’s plan does not require spending cuts, that is why it is imperative to tell your member of Congress to stop the over spending and sign the cut, cap, and balance pledge.  Go to www.house.gov or call the main switchboard of the Capitol at 202-224-3121 and urge your member of Congress to vote for H.R. 2560.

Debt ceiling negotiations are at a critical point.  The deadline for default is quickly approaching (even though some say it is a fake deadline, including the Taxpayers Protection Alliance) and the House republican leadership has stood its ground by insisting that tax increases should not be a part of any deal.  A coalition of more than 200 groups from across the country (including the Taxpayers Protection Alliance) has been promoting an idea called Cut, Cap, and Balance (click here for previous blog posting) as a way to get the nation’s fiscal house in order.  It is simple: cut spending; cap spending, and pass a balanced budget amendment.  A bill proposed by Sens. Rand Paul, (R-Ky.), Pat Toomey, (R-Penn.), and Mike Lee (R-Utah) mirrors the principles of cut, cap, and balance by allowing a debt ceiling increase as long as if there were spending cuts, enforceable spending caps and a balanced budget amendment.  The House of Representatives also plans a vote on cut, cap, and balance.  Great news for the taxpayers, but then comes along Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to throw cold water on all the progress that had been made during the debt negotiations.   Sen. McConnell’s plan (dubbed Plan B) would give the President the power to raise the debt ceiling three times to the tune of $2.5 trillion which would be enough to get them past the 2012 elections.

After a 75 minute meeting on Sunday July 10, Republican leaders and President Obama have yet to come up with a plan to raise the debt ceiling, or more importantly, cut spending.  The meeting comes just 48 hours after new unemployment numbers were released that showed an increase in unemployment from May to June. President Obama insists that tax increases must be in the table while fiscal conservatives are staking their ground by insisting on spending cuts without tax increases.  Now is not the time to burden the taxpayers with more taxes.  That is why it is imperative to tell your member of Congress to stop the over spending and sign the cut, cap, and balance pledge.  Call the main switchboard of the Capitol at 202-224-3121.