Republicans are more and more confident they will have the votes this evening to approve a GOP debt limit bill, but Democrats in the Senate are planning a quick vote soon after to defeat the plan devised in recent days by Speaker John Boehner.
"It's time for the Tea Party Republicans to stop resisting compromise," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on the Senate floor, as Democrats took a very hard line in public against the Boehner debt limit measure.
""There is no reason for them to say no," Boehner said of the Senate at an afternoon news conference. "It's time for somebody in this town to say yes."
As for the first step, the vote in the House, Boehner and others acknowledged there was some final arm-twisting to do.
"We've got a little work to do today in terms of getting the votes," said Rep. Steve Chabot of Ohio, whose district is just down the road from that of the Speaker.
"I think we'll get there," Chabot told reporters.
Others echoed that assessment after the closed door meeting, reporting that a number of Republicans had stood up at the meeting an announced their support for the debt limit bill.
"This is the best deal we can get," said Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), who admitted he wanted more in budget cuts.
"I've always been an undecided," Westmoreland told a few reporters in the basement of the Capitol.
"I don't like the bill; I think it was negotiated terrible, but it's a start," said Westmoreland. "I think this is a good start."
Others who jumped on board today included influential conservative Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, who announced his decision to fellow lawmakers.
One reason Pence is on board is that the Speaker has approved a plan to vote Friday on two different balanced budget amendments to the Constitution, all part of the Republican plan to put Democrats on the record against a balanced budget.
But that vote didn't impress others already opposed to the plan.
"Merely promising another vote will not get the job done," said Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA).
Others seemed ready to join Pence and get on board with GOP leaders.
"I'm leaning towards maybe supporting it," said Rep. John Sullivan of Oklahoma, who had met with Speaker Boehner several times in recent days.
A vote seems likely in the House after 6pm, though it could slip even later.
One other note - Republicans need 216 votes for a bare majority today, instead of the usual 218 votes.
Currently, there are two vacancies in the House; also, two other members will be absent - Rep. Gabby Giffords of Arizona, still recovering from gunshot wounds and Rep. Maurice Hinchey, a Democrat from New York. He is being treated for cancer.
That means 431 members could vote today, making 216 votes the majority.
