5:47 p.m. | Updated House Speaker John A. Boehner delayed an expected vote on Republican debt ceiling legislation, abruptly shifting business on the House floor in the middle of the debt debate.
It was unclear immediately whether the debate and vote on the legislation was delayed because Republicans did not feel that they had the votes to ensure its passage.
The vote on Mr. Boehner’s plan was expected to take place Thursday evening. But the chair on the House floor suddenly interrupted the debate on the debt ceiling legislation to announce that the House would shift gears.
Mr. Boehner had spent two days furiously lobbying freshman Republicans for his plan, which would cut federal spending by $917 billion and provide enough borrowing authority to keep the government solvent until January.
The decision to postpone the vote comes as the country moves closer to the Aug. 2 deadline when Treasury Department officials have said the country will run out of authority to borrow money.
In four hours of debate leading up to the expected vote, Republican lawmakers described the bill as the only legislative compromise that can keep the country from defaulting on its debt next week.
“We must act today, approve this bill, and balance the budget for future generations,” said Representative Jeb Hernsarling of of Texas.
Democrats, though, called the bill an abdication of responsibility that would force a second gut-wrenching debate about the debt ceiling in an election year.
“It’s high time that we stop playing Russian roulette with the American economy and with American jobs,” said Representative Chris Van Hollen of Maryland.
Legislative maneuvering had become intense on Capitol Hill Thursday as lawmakers in both chambers and in both parties sought to game out a procedural advantage in the days left before the debt ceiling deadline.
Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, indicated earlier that the Senate will take up the House legislation Thursday night. Mr. Reid had indicated that he would come to the Senate floor again at 7 p.m. Thursday night.
It was unclear whether Mr. Boehner’s delay might indicate more procedural moves to push a possible vote closer to the deadline, thereby increasing the pressure on the Senate to pass it.
There was no immediate reaction from the White House, where officials mindful of the countdown to Aug. 2 scrambled to find out when a House vote might be rescheduled. Though Mr. Obama had threatened to veto the House bill, officials were concerned about it being shelved again given that it would delay the effort to reach an ultimate compromise.
Jackie Calmes contributed reporting.
