Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said Sunday he would not vote for a deal to reopen the government and raise the debt limit if it cannot attract support in the Republican-led House, arguing there is little point in claiming victory if a deal does not pass muster in the other chamber of Congress.
If the deal cannot attract the majority of House Republicans, “that really does compromise Speaker Boehner’s leadership,” Mr. Graham told ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, adding he understands that defunding or delaying Obamacare is not a viable option.
Mr. Graham said the last thing Mr. Boehner needs is to see his leadership tinkered with further, after the hard-right wing of the Republican Party insisted on changes to Obamacare as a precondition of any deal.
The strategy has not worked, and recent polls give poor marks to the GOP.
The senator noted the irony of the situation, in which tumult on Capitol Hill has overshadowed the rocky rollout of insurance market tied to the law they fought so hard to dismantle.
The government shut down, Mr. Graham noted, but Obamacare is moving forward.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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