Pelosi: Boehner Was Supposed To Have 218 Votes For Debt Limit Deal | TPMDC

Pelosi: Boehner Was Supposed To Have 218 Votes For Debt Limit Deal | TPMDC: "'The standard that was set by Simpson-Bowles...the Gang of Six -- everybody who has looked at this has said do not make those big cuts too soon, you will slow economic growth,' she said. 'I think that principle stands.'

I also think, though, that passing something and getting it over with and moving on was necessary and compared to default it is preferable because default would really lose a lot of jobs. That is my way of saying, I don't think this is the best path we could have taken. And especially I'm unhappy about the fact that this was developed with a premise that the Republicans would have the 218. Since they didn't we should've had more influence.
I was in all the meetings, I'm not saying that isn't the case. But if we had days, instead of backed up to hours, we could have said 'you don't have the votes, let's go back in and how do we move this way in order to cut some of those cuts and have a better bill and get the votes.' So I think we could've done better. I think they were successful at just prolonging it to the last minute so that we didn't have that option and it was default or no default."