By Erik Wasson

The Hill

April 11, 2011

Steve Bell, a former GOP Senate budget staff director now at the Bipartisan Policy Center, said Ryan’s plan advances the conversation on the deficit and also can be seen as a House Republican opening offer in future talks with the Senate.

He suggested that a May debt vote could be tied to a requirement that an agreement be forged by the end of 2011 on deficit reduction. That could lead to months of negotiations and a bipartisan deal based on the Gang of Six...

Bell said that one way to look at the vote is that the fiscal commission report’s constituency in the House is the shrunken Blue Dog caucus.

The reality of the debt ceiling, however, could drive the parties toward compromise on what needs to be tied to it in order for it to be raised, he said.

“There may be a fight between House and Senate. At some point reality, and reality therapy can be very painful, at some point reality will set in,” he said.

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Economic Policy Project