Boehner Wants Military Benefits Restoration Tied to Debt Ceiling Negotiations

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) wants to tie debt ceiling negotiations to the restoration of military benefits.

Speaking to Republican representatives, on February 5th Boehner encouraged them “to demand a restoration of recently cut military benefits in exchange for a one-year extension of the federal government’s borrowing authority.”

According to The Washington Post, though Boehner “did not formally endorse the idea as his own, he did ask his lieutenants to test it among rank-and-file-Republicans.”

Those close to Boehner say he is trying to find a way to handle debt ceiling negotiations that avoids throwing Republicans into the kind of disarray debt limit negotiations have caused in the past. 

Rep. Patrick Tiberi (R-OH) praised Boehner’s efforts and said getting “218 Republicans behind something” is a herculean feat. “Whatever we move, there will be critics everywhere, but at the end of the day we still have to govern.”

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said that “the government will run short of cash to pay its bills by the end of [February] unless Congress grants additional credit authority.”

Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins.