WASHINGTON – A Senate-passed bill to keep the country from going off the fiscal cliff ran into trouble in the House today, as Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor came out against the deal.
"I do not support the bill,” Cantor said as he left a closed closed-door meeting of Republicans about the deal negotiated between Vice President Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
The Senate passed the deal by a wide margin just after 2 AM today, two hours after the country technically went over the fiscal cliff, when tax hikes and billions of spending cuts took effect.
With just hours left to try to act on the deal before financial markets open Wednesday morning, the House had yet to even schedule a vote.
“The Speaker and Leader laid out options to the members and listened to feedback,” said Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck. “The lack of spending cuts in the Senate bill was a universal concern amongst members in today’s meeting.”
“Conversations with members will continue throughout the afternoon on the path forward,” Buck said.
Rank and file Republicans complained about the deal’s lack of spending cuts.
“I’d be very surprised if the House passed what the Senate passed in the middle of the night – very surprised,” said Rep Steve King (R-Iowa) told the Post.
“I would be shocked if the bill doesn’t go back to the Senate” with spending cuts, said Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.).
Any changes made by the House would have to be matched by the Senate, and could scuttle the deal. But Republicans also cautioned against putting “poison pills” into the deal.
House Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi tried to hold House Republicans’ feet to the fire.
“Our Speaker has said when the Senate acts, we will have a vote in the House," she said. "That is what he said, that is what we expect, that is what the American people deserve…a straight up-or-down vote."
Fiscal cliff deal, approved by Senate, runs into opposition in House
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Fiscal cliff deal, approved by Senate, runs into opposition in House
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Fiscal cliff deal, approved by Senate, runs into opposition in House
