Harry Reid: Cut, Cap And Balance 'Senseless' (VIDEO)

WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said on Thursday the Cut, Cap and Balance bill passed by the House Tuesday is "some of the worst legislation in the history of this country," resoundingly rejecting claims by Republicans that Democrats will eventually accept the bill in a last-ditch effort to raise the debt ceiling.

"I think this piece of legislation is about as weak and senseless as anything that has ever come on the Senate floor, and I'm not going to waste the Senate's time day after day on this piece of legislation which I think is an anathema to what our country is all about," Reid said on the Senate floor.

Reid announced that the Senate will vote on the bill Friday, despite a Senate rule that a full day must pass after cloture is filed before the body can take a cloture vote. He said anyone who wants to debate the legislation is free to come do so "to their heart's content," but that a vote would take place Friday rather than Saturday.

Cut, Cap, and Balance, a Tea Party-backed bill that includes major spending cuts and demands a vote on the Balanced Budget Amendment, is almost certain to fail in the Senate. President Barack Obama issued a veto threat on the measure earlier this week. But Republicans insist the bill offers a possibility for breaking the gridlock on negotiations over raising the debt ceiling.

Democrats are eager to move past the bill and begin work on other plans to increase the debt limit.

"Time to move on to more serious proposals," Democratic policy spokesman Brian Fallon tweeted when announcing the vote.

Reid said it was time the bill was cast aside in favor of better proposals.

"I feel confident that this legislation will be disposed of one way or the other," he said on the floor. "The American people should understand that this is a bad piece of legislation."

Comments

[Paul Goertzen]

04:17 PM on 08/06/2011

Oh! He's a Democrat, and thought they said, "Cut the Crap and give me my Allowance!".

[ntmessage]

12:38 PM on 07/23/2011

If it was so bad why didn't they vote on it? This is NOT democracy.

[Wally-Cronkite]

05:32 AM on 07/23/2011

"Some of the worst legislation in the history of this country," is only fitting since it comes from some of the worst congressmen in the history of this country.

[NanaPuddin]

01:59 PM on 07/22/2011

Well I just had a huge debate about the debt ceiling with who seems to be a libertarian anarchist who wants the government to crash, and then we can pick up the pieces and start over again. He brought up ideas and claims that Obama has been groomed since he was a child by his father and grandfather to follow his ideology, which is socialism and communism. I was called a communist for supporting universal healthcare and the hoping that we would pay this debt off sooner rather than later. I was claimed to be drinking Koolaid for believing that the liberals could pull us out of this mess, and that they at least appeared to be supporting our desires. And then, of all things, he said that none of this would matter, that in the end, Jesus will come down from his throne of water vapor and put a stop to all this mess, that none of it really matters in the end.

In other words: Obama, Democrats, don't you dare cave on any of this mess, and when you get the majority, you better start making those big changes and pay off this debt, or so help me I'll bring a crowd to your doorsteps.

[mumtaz nepal]

03:18 PM on 07/22/2011

That wasn't a debate, it was an intervention.

[TexasPatriot1776]

01:29 PM on 07/22/2011

a 100 years from now, when Chinese children are reading about their history, they will learn how Harrry Red made it possible for China to conquer the United States.

[MiddleMolly]

08:29 PM on 07/22/2011

This has got to rank with one of the most absurd posts I've read here recently. What school did you go to? What is your level of education?

[TexasPatriot1776]

01:43 PM on 07/23/2011

how is Harrrry Red working to better the USA?

[meamnotsmallone]

12:10 PM on 07/22/2011

I understand that maybe this piece of legislation has flaws and maybe the whole thing is flawed. I've read a lot of rebuttals to this legislation like, "you can't have a balanced budget because you can't call off a national disaster." I think everyone understands that and it should be addressed but we are currently spending more money than what we take in year after year without said disasters. It amazes me that there are so many who are content with spending money like we still have it. It seems like we have spent a lot of time talking about fiscal responsibility, but we never do anything. The Republicans have been poor examples to say the least and it is a little annoying that they are blowing the trumpet on this. Maybe they had an epiphany. Either way why not do something now? It seems that the Democrats have an opportunity here to put together sensible legislation that addresses spending and a balanced budget. I haven't seen many reports on the specifics of their plans or pieces of legislation. Why is that?

[MiddleMolly]

08:33 PM on 07/22/2011

We had a balanced budget, which is a good goal, back in 1999 or 2000. We got there by a decent tax structure, lowered defense spending, no unending wars, and a booming economy with jobs (and taxes) for everyone.

The Dems want to pass "sensible" legislation (though do you really think that gutting Social Security and Medicare is "sensible"?) but they know such sensible legislation needs to include increased revenues.

The reason you haven't seen any reports on the specifics of Dems ideas? Well, first of all, spending bills need to come from the House, which is controlled by rabid Repubs, and, secondly, you haven't looked hard enough. Try Google.

[meamnotsmallone]

10:00 PM on 07/22/2011

Correct, we did have a balanced budget with Clinton and a Republican Congress. It went down hill when the Republicans were in control of everything. Agreed, gutting Medicare and Social Security is not sensible. It's criminal given that it should be our money in those funds. You and I both know that the government raided those funds long ago because they have not been able to control their spending most of the time. That distorts our budget problem even further.
I'm reluctant about endorsing any plan that raises taxes. I know Bush gets a bad rap for his tax cuts, but the government still took in more money then prior years. The problem was that our spending increased way more. The argument could be made that more money would have come in if he left taxes alone, but given how taxes change the climate of business it is all speculation. Even Obama at one point said that raising taxes can be detrimental to jobs and the economy. The idea the Dems cannot come up with a proposal without raising taxes is silly. We are spending too much in a fragile economy. If tax hikes are a line in the sand with the Republicans because they think it will harm the economy then come up with a plan that does not have them. Then make cuts to things that are better then Medicare and Social Security. It seems that there is a lot of finger pointing without anyone conducting real negotiations.

[meamnotsmallone]

10:02 PM on 07/22/2011

You are right that the Dems had a plan out there but why have I not heard that like I have with the couple of Republican plans? Granted I've heard a lot about those plans being awful, but still to have that kind of coverage that completely overshadows the Democrat plan? Are the Dems that passive on this or is the media somehow distorting this?
On a separate note, why not eliminate the IRS and go to a flat tax or the fair tax idea? It eliminates the loopholes that everyone screams about for the wealthy and everyone is contributing to the government that they hold accountable on Election Day. No tax giveaways to buy votes and no more hoopla about the rich not paying a fair share. That issue would be over and done with…maybe.

[jimtpat]

11:30 AM on 07/22/2011

To those asking what an alternative plan would be:
All but a few Americans are getting behind the Flat Top Tax Act. This act excludes from considerat­ion the first 10-12 times minimum wage for all those receiving ANY type of income (about $160,000), then imposes a simple 100% tax rate on everything above that for the duration of the emergency. Additionally, all inheritanc­e entitlemen­ts over 20 times a year's minimum wage would also have to be attached at a 100% dollar to dollar-in-­kind rate.
This would end deficit spending, repay the debt, and ensure a welcome return to a good economy for ALL Americans!

[givemtheirwish]

11:03 AM on 07/22/2011

Rich coming from someone who passed Odum@Care without knowing what the h_ll was in it

[tttedison]

10:58 AM on 07/22/2011

You people who think the House GOP members that put this plan together do not get that this is only a ploy, If you negoiate with someone ,you ask for the moon and hope to end up with half the moon, they know they are not going to get everything in Cut ,Cap and Balance,but they might get half of it by asking for so much and that is what they were after anyway.

[MiddleMolly]

08:35 PM on 07/22/2011

But it was voted upon and passed, and if the Dems in the Senate vote against it, it goes away.

Not one of the provisions makes any sense to anyone who knows anything about government finance.

[altollew]

10:53 AM on 07/22/2011

And Harry Reid that brave defender of our liberty didn't have the stones to let the bill get voted on, he tabled it. Guess he found out he would be embarrassed that some of his minions would vote for it.

[saving1939]

11:01 AM on 07/22/2011

they are voting on it today. It will fail today. You will still wrong and look foolish as all teabaggers are at the end of the day.

[jimtpat]

11:53 AM on 07/22/2011

You got your parties mixed up. Reid didn't table it like the Repubs wanted so it could be talked about back and forth without getting anywhere. He brought it up for a vote just a few minutes ago and it just failed 51 to 46, so even some Repubs had to admit they weren't seriously wanting it!

[Berryives]

10:49 AM on 07/22/2011

The so-called chained CPI is nothing but a ruse to reduce benefits to retirees on Social Security. The effect is to force seniors to buy cheaper products. Why? Social Security is sound, and it is not the cause of the deficit and should not even be discussed in the context of deficit reduction. It is completely unfair to squeeze seniors to support tax cuts to the wealthy, bogus wars, and corporate loopholes. This chained CPI is a devious mask, and obviously amounts to a cut in benefits. I hope readers will speak out in opposition and contact their senators to vote against any attempt to cut SS benefits.

[JoannainPA]

10:48 AM on 07/22/2011

The tea party is such an embarrassment to our country!

[saving1939]

11:03 AM on 07/22/2011

They haven't had their diapers changed in three days.

[JoannainPA]

10:47 AM on 07/22/2011

The yea party Is such an embarrassment to our nation.

[Blufftonian]

10:44 AM on 07/22/2011

Cut, Cap & Balance bill gets 2-1 approval among adults in CNN poll.

http://hotair.com/archives/2011/07/21/oh-my-ccb-bill-gets-2-1-approval-among-adults-in-cnn-poll/

[reader110]

10:54 AM on 07/22/2011

That's because most adults are not economists and have absolutely no understanding of the implications of the bill.

[katyland]

11:03 AM on 07/22/2011

thats not true most adults are economist with their own budgets, and they understand the bill to DC is getting to high,

[Blufftonian]

11:07 AM on 07/22/2011

That sounds suspiciously like Contessa Brewer.

[SurfinSteve]

06:08 PM on 07/29/2011

Can you point me to the methodology behind that poll. I heard it was an "instant" poll, whatever that means. BUT CNN doesn't list any info on it. I'm beginning to think you Baggies made this up.

[katyland]

10:34 AM on 07/22/2011

we can all have our opinions but one fact stands out , exactly why is harry not wanting a debate,, the debate tailors the end result of any bill, change this tweek that , and at some point a bill that all can vote for arrives,, but in this case dems will not even take that little step,,, so exactly how serious are dems and obama about controling future debt, and just how important is it to pay the debt,

[saving1939]

11:06 AM on 07/22/2011

They don't want to waste their time on a stupid, let me repeat that, STUPID BILL. JOBS not this PHONY debt crisis is the problem.

[katyland]

11:35 AM on 07/22/2011

well what jobs have the dems come up with ,