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MORNING VIDEOS: Even yes votes worried about debt deal's terms

By Geneva Sands - 08/02/11 10:22 AM ET

The House passed legislation brokered by the White House and congressional leaders to raise the debt ceiling and reduce the deficit Monday.

The Senate is expected to vote on the bill at noon today, less than a day before the U.S. government would default on its payments.

Lawmakers spoke out this morning on the surprise return of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords for last night's vote and what they think will happen when the Senate takes up the debt-limit measure. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner spoke to ABC News to praise the compromise, which he forecasts will boost private sector hiring.

Click through for a round-up of this morning's video highlights:


Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fl.) spoke this morning about the return of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords to Congress to vote on the debt deal Monday. Wasserman Schultz called it the "best ending" to a tough debate and compromise. She told CNN Giffords had been following the debate and felt strongly that if it came down to a vote, she wanted to make sure the country would not default.

"We had a very tough few weeks leading up to this fight and this final compromise and Gabby melted everyone's heart last night. If anyone could do it, she could."


Geithner touted the debt-limit deal, saying it will create more room for the private sector to grow.

Geithner told George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America he believes the bill will not cost jobs. However, he said he does not know whether a debt downgrade will still occur.

He believes it will be difficult for Republicans to block the extension of the payroll tax cuts.

Gethner said he has not decided whether or not he will leave his post as Treasury secretary.

"Part of governing is recognizing we don't have unlimited resources and we inherited and are left with unsustainable deficits long-term."


Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), a member of the Gang of Six, plans to vote against the debt-limit bill in the Senate today. He told MSNBC the bill doesn't have any real spending cuts, only spending slowdowns.

Coburn said there is also no mechanism for preventing a reverse on anything in the proposal, and gave a grim view of the United States economic outlook, saying he believes there will be a worldwide debt wall hit sometime this year.

"I think the politicians won and Americans lost."

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy


Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), chairman of the House Budget Committee, told CNBC he thinks the bill, while not perfect, has moved in the right direction in terms of discretionary spending caps.

Ryan called for reforms in entitlement programs, saying they are the drivers of the debt crisis. He said there is a need to educate the public on debt and deficit issues.

"The fate of this country really stands with how we handle this debt crisis."


Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) also spoke to CNBC about his concerns with mandatory spending programs. He said he will vote for the bill this afternoon, hoping it is the beginning of a serious confrontation with the debt.

Lieberman said he fears Congress and the special committee formed in the bill won't come up with a solution for tax and entitlement reform.

"In some ways I think we're going to look back and say this was the easy part. The tough part, which they left out, is that we're not dealing with entitlements."


Source:
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/174959-morning-videos-lawmakers-mixed-on-debt-limit-deal
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