Boehner Snipes At Obama, Promises Debt Ceiling ‘Framework’ Today

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)
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With just hours to go before the Asian financial markets open — a waypoint set by Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) yesterday — Boehner promised to propose a new framework to raise the debt ceiling by the end of Sunday. But he couldn’t promise a bipartisan deal after a day of talks Saturday that seemed to be unsuccessful.

Speaking on Fox News Sunday, Boehner said a framework is coming Sunday. But where it goes after that is anyone’s guess.

“I’m going to do my best to work with my Congressional colleagues, my House Republican colleagues, to be able to put a framework out there today,” Boehner said. “I would prefer to have a bipartisan approach to solace this problem. If that’s not possible, I and my Republican colleagues in the House are prepared to move on our own. Today.”

Yesterday’s talks on Capitol Hill were based on a two-tier debt ceiling framework Boehner has proposed. Republicans want a short-term increase with spending cuts now, with a second larger increase tied to cuts that would be proposed out by a bipartisan commission. That would require a second vote on the debt limit next year, which Democrats have rejected. Democrats have expressed interest in a two-part strategy as long as the debt increase through the end of 2012 is completed now.

Boehner said a two-part deal was probably the only way to move forward with nine days to go until the debt ceiling deadline.

“There is going to be a two step process,” Boehner said. “It’s not physically possible to do all of this in one step.”

Boehner also said he’s still open to the grand bargain he and President Obama attempted to forge earlier in the process. Boehner’s own caucus has opposed a big deal — which would include revenue increases and spending cuts — making it tough for Boehner to move forward with that plan. Still, Boehner says he’s open to it.

Speaking on Fox just days after President Obama’s heated press conference, Boehner also took some shots at Obama and the Democrats. He accused the president of putting politics ahead of striking a bipartisan deal. Obama and the Democrats, of course, have accused Boehner and his allies of doing the exact same thing.

“I know the president’s worried about his next election,” Boehner said. “but my God shouldn’t we be worried about the country?”

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