4:10 p.m. — A coalition of Tea Party chapters and conservative lawmakers on Monday rejected the debt proposal put forward by Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), despite his efforts to sweeten the deal with provisions favored by his conservative base.
The Cut, Cap, Balance Coalition, which boasts hundreds of Tea Party groups and more than 100 GOP lawmakers in its membership, is citing two provisions in Boehner’s proposal that amount to deal-breakers: its call for creating a Congressional Commission and its inclusion of a balanced budget amendment that, according to the group, is only for show.
“A symbolic vote on a balanced budget amendment at some later time minimizes its importance, as it will not be tied to an increase in the debt ceiling,” reads a statement from the coalition. “A BBA that allows a tax increase with anything less than a 2/3 supermajority is not a serious measure.”
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“To be clear, we are not criticizing the Speaker,” the statement explained. “However, we cannot support his framework, and we urge those who have signed the Pledge to oppose it and hold out for a better plan.”
Joseph Bretell, a spokesman for the coalition, told The Huffington Post he wouldn’t speak for individual lawmakers, but that it is fair to say that lawmakers who signed the coalition’s pledge are behind the group’s statement.
“We put forward the pledge. They signed the pledge,” said Bretell. “We certainly hope that having signed the pledge, they will hold out for a better plan than this one.”