Bachmann, Paul vote against GOP's 'cut, cap and balance' bill

Republican presidential candidates Reps. Michele Bachmann (Minn.) and Ron Paul (Texas) each voted against the House Republican "cut, cap and balance" bill on Tuesday night.

Bachmann and Paul were joined by seven other Republicans who voted against the plan to cut spending by more than $100 billion in 2012, cap spending over the next decade and prohibit more borrowing until Congress passes a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution.

Bachmann said the bill does not go far enough to fundamentally restructure the way Washington spends money, and in particular does not go after "ObamaCare."

"We must remember that ObamaCare is the largest spending and entitlement program in our nation's history," she said. "That means, at a time when we can least afford it, President Obama added to our spending problem by the trillions. Without its repeal, we cannot have real economic reform."

Other Republican "no" votes were Reps. Paul Broun (Ga.), Francisco "Quico" Canseco (Texas), Scott DeJarlais (Tenn.), Morgan Griffith (Va.), Walter Jones (N.C.), Connie Mack (Fla.) and Dana Rohrabachder (Calif.).

Only five Democrats voted for the controversial bill: Reps. Dan Boren (Okla.), Jim Cooper (Tenn.), Jim Matheson (Utah), Mike McIntyre (NC), and Heath Shuler (N.C.).

The House bill is unlikely to advance in the Senate. Instead, a tentative Senate-based deal to cut $3.7 trillion over 10 years appeared to be gathering bipartisan support, although a transitional agreement could also be needed if that deal can't be organized and passed by the Aug. 2 debt-ceiling deadline.