Friday nights vote is not going to end the deadlock, just move it to a new phase. Democrats in the Senate will likely kill it and efforts to find a compromise will drag through the weekend. But, pushing this closer to the supposed Tuesday deadline to avoid default is not sitting well with local folks on both sides of the partisan political divide.
President Obama got back in the game calling for compromise between Republicans and Democrats. "The power to solve this is in our hands."
The Republican Controlled House came up with their solution. A compromise aimed only at securing Tea Party support. Speaker John Boehner's measure would temporarily raise the debt limit then require Congress to pass a balanced budget amendment in six months before allowing any more increases.
Senate President Harry Reid said Boehner's logic was out of whack. "I mean, how bizarre can anyone be." One reason Reid says it's bizarre because a balanced budget amendment requires 2/3 of members of the House and Senate to agree on it.
Democratic Congressman Jim Costa of Fresno says Boehner's two step approach could lead to a downgrade in the nations credit rating. In a written statement he said, "I simply could not bring myself to vote for legislation that would yet again call into question the full faith and credit of the United States."
But Republican Congressman Jeff Denham of Atwater issued a video, in support of the bill he voted on.
Chuck Krugman, of the Fresno County Democratic Central Committee sees the Republican non deal as a stunt. "They are grandstanding and holding the American people hostage."
Krugman, who is visually impaired believes the debate will end with budget cuts that will hurt all of us. "That's really the bottom line. The politicking is not what's important here the bottom line is something needs to be done. The average American is going to be affected by this and the Republican's are not considering this. "
Central Valley Tea Party activist Steve Wayte sees some kind of compromise will end this controversy with a vote nobody will like. "The Tea Party doesn't want to compromise. What is going to happen is just like Obamacare it will be passed at 11:45 on a non business day and it'll be snuck in the Republican Party won't win the Democratic Party won't win and the American people will lose."
Friday nights passage of a debt ceiling budget cutting bill may mean almost nothing. It is expected to be tabled in the Senate. Democrats will offer a form of compromise legislation Republicans won't like, but a key vote that both sides might accept is expected Sunday.
The President has asked his 9 million Twitter followers to contact their members of congress urging them to make a final deal.
