McConnell challenges Obama on debt talks

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (right), Kentucky Republican, speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday, June 29, 2011, about balancing the budget as Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, Utah Republican, looks on. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

A day after President Obama persuaded senators to cancel their Independence Day vacation to make headway on debt negotiations, the chamber’s Republican leader said there’s no better time to get started than right now — and he urged Mr. Obama to come to the Capitol immediately to talk.
“That way he can hear directly from Republicans why what he’s proposing won’t pass. And we can start talking about what’s actually possible,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, said.
It’s the latest escalation in a war of words between Congress and the White House over the looming Aug. 2 deadline for raising the government’s debt limit.
Earlier in the day, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, announced next week’s planned Independence Day break won’t happen.
“We’ll do that because we have work to do,” he said, adding that the Senate will have a vote on July 5, though he didn’t say what the subject would be.

**FILE** Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, speaks June 28, 2011, to reporters following the Democrats’ weekly policy luncheon on Capitol Hill. (Associated Press)

The chamber still will take off on Monday — July Fourth — but will be back in town on Tuesday, and it could even face a debate on a constitutional amendment to balance the budget next week.
At his press conference on Wednesday, Mr. Obama expressed frustration with his former congressional colleagues, who have been away from Washington repeatedly over the past month and who have hit a stalemate on negotiations to raise the government’s debt ceiling, which will be hit on Aug. 2.
“They’re in one week, they’re out one week, and then they’re saying, ‘Obama’s got to step in — you need to be here?’ I’ve been here,” he said. “You stay here. Let’s get it done.”
Senate Republicans also had threatened to block a vacation, saying the chamber should be in town working on the issue, and on Thursday morning Mr. Reid said that’s just what will happen.
The House is taking its Independence Day vacation this week and is scheduled to be back in town next week.