WASHINGTON — Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is planning to call up a bill to hike the nation’s debt ceiling — setting up a confrontation with Republican House Speaker John Boehner as the standoff between the two sides enters its second week.
Boehner said the votes aren’t there to pass such a bill in the House, nor are there votes to pass a “clean” bill with no strings attached to reopen the government.
That provoked a stern response Monday from President Obama.
“If Republicans and Speaker Boehner are saying there aren’t enough votes, then they should prove it,” Obama said during a visit to FEMA headquarters in DC.
“Let the bill go to the floor and let’s see what happens,” he said. “Just vote.”
More than 20 House Republicans have now said they would vote for a clean bill to reopen the government. The nation is set to hit the $16.7 trillion debt ceiling on Oct. 17.
Boehner took to the House floor, blasting Obama for failing to “sit down and negotiate” GOP demands to recast ObamaCare or to offer budget concessions.
“Mr. President, it’s time to have that conversation before our economy is put further at risk,” he declared.
Meanwhile, China’s Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao said Monday that he had asked that “the US earnestly take steps to resolve” the crisis.
China holds $1.277 billion in Treasury bonds, more than any nation except Japan.