GOP lawmaker: Boehner's debt bill lacks support

Friday, July 22, 2011, Vol. 35, No. 29

WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Republican House member says he thinks Speaker John Boehner lacks the GOP votes needed to pass his debt-ceiling plan in the House.

Jim Jordan of Ohio told reporters Tuesday that he's confident "that as of this morning there are not 218 Republicans in support of this plan." That's the number needed to pass bills in the House. Democrats are expected to overwhelmingly oppose Boehner's plan for a two-step debt-reduction process.

Jordan chairs the Republican Study Committee, which includes scores of House conservatives. He says he opposes Boehner's plan because it would not cut spending enough and it would not require a balanced budget.