House debt bill puts Senate in a pickle

“I’m happy to extend the debt ceiling without entitlement cuts or dollar-for-dollar [cuts], so that’s a step in the right direction,” Reid said after his weekly caucus luncheon. But he told reporters that any further questions about the budget should be directed toward new Budget Chairwoman Patty Murray, D-Wash. …

Though a short-term deal is not a preferred method of dealing with the issue for most in Congress, Senate Republicans seemed open to taking up the bill as well if their House counterparts can send it their way. …

McConnell also suggested Senate Democrats, if they were averse to anything but a clean debt ceiling increase, could come up with legislation of their own. With Obama essentially promising to sign the House bill, however, it’s unclear what kind of leeway Senate Democrats would have to act alone.

“Follow the regular order. The debt ceiling can originate in either house. The Senate Finance Committee could generate a debt ceiling proposal. They could do it clean if they wanted to,” McConnell said after the weekly caucus luncheons. “They could try to embrace some spending reduction. But I think what the House is saying above all else is they’re hoping to act, as soon as maybe tomorrow. And then it will be incumbent upon the Senate Democratic majority to come up with what is their idea about raising the debt ceiling.”