Boehner to GOP and Tea Party – "Get your ass in line"

Washington - The House scheduled a vote for today, Thursday, July 28, on a compromise plan hammered out by Speaker John Boehner.

The plan has been revised to bring a total of $915 billion in savings in federal spending over 10 years, an increase of about $65 billion over the initial version, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Mr. Boehner's proposal now meets his pledge to match dollar for dollar any debt ceiling hike with dollar-for-dollar spending cuts.

The drama to be seen is whether ultra-conservative Tea Party members of the chamber will get in lock-step with their GOP colleagues.

It will be a major test for whether the GOP caucus can push through the Boehner measure in the face of an expected unified Democratic opposition. Republicans hold 240 of the 433 votes to be cast and need 217 of their members to support the plan for it to pass. Two House seats are currently vacant.

Participants who requested anonymity in a caucus meeting held Wednesday said the Speaker told the rank and file, “Get your ass in line.”