The House narrowly passed legislation Tuesday evening to raise the debt ceiling, all but ensuring that the nation won't default at the end of the month. </p> <p> The 221-201 vote, carried by Democrats <a href="https://blogs.rollcall.com/218/breaking-down-the-debt-ceiling-vote/">with just enough Republicans</a> to push the bill over the finish line, represented a capitulation by House GOP leaders, who were forced to proceed with a "clean" measure after their flock failed to unify on any alternative.  </p> <p> Speaker John A. Boehner, Majority Leader Eric Cantor and other senior Republicans had hinted over the past few weeks that they wanted to give their rank-and-file members a "sweetener" for raising the debt limit, as many in their flock said they weren't inclined to write what they called a "blank check" for President Barack Obama and get nothing in return. But leaders couldn't find a policy rider that would attract enough Republican support without alienating Democrats, whose support they knew would be critical to passing a debt limit extension.  </p> <p> Republicans' final gambit — restoring military pensions that were cut last year — didn't strike that balance, making a clean extension unavoidable and Democratic support more critical than ever.  </p> <p> <a href="https://blogs.rollcall.com/218/republicans-plan-clean-debt-limit-hike/">“We don’t have 218 votes,” Boehner told reporters Tuesday morning. “When you don’t have 218 votes, you have nothing.”</a> Democrats, meanwhile, were emboldened on Tuesday.  </p> <p> "I'm grateful to the speaker and the Republican leadership for giving this House this opportunity to act in a way that is consistent with the constitution," said Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speaking in the chamber in advance of the vote. "I thank my Democratic colleagues for never wavering from this position and standing firm on behalf of all Americans."</p></body>
