House GOP plans vote on 'clean' increase to debt limit

Updated at 3:17 p.m. ET

The GOP-led House plans to hold a vote next week on a "clean" increase to the debt limit that doesn't include any spending cuts, in a bid to show President Obama and Democrats that such a measure cannot pass without conditions attached.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner last week immediately halted investments by two big government pension plans when the federal government officially reached its $14.3 trillion debt ceiling. He has repeatedly warned that the government could default on its loans if Congress does not raise the borrowing limit by Aug. 2.

House Speaker John Boehner has repeatedly called for spending cuts in the trillions of dollars to accompany any increase to the debt ceiling, saying everything is on the table to reduce the nation's debt except increasing taxes.

"The Obama administration's request for a debt limit increase without spending cuts is dangerous for jobs and our economy, and the American people reject it," said Michael Steel, a Boehner spokesman. "This vote will show that the administration's proposal cannot pass in the House, and that major spending cuts and reforms must be part of the solution."

The GOP proposal would raise the debt limit by $2.4 trillion, which would cover the United States' financial commitments through 2012.

The plan by the GOP leadership team is to schedule the vote on the suspension calendar, normally reserved for non-controversial items such as naming post offices, and require a two-thirds vote of the House for passage. Most House bills usually require a simple majority to pass. This legislative route also means no amendments can be offered to bills.

Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., has garnered the support of 114 other Democrats for a increasing the debt limit with no strings attached, but that would be far short of the votes needed to pass the GOP measure.

"It's a political stunt," Welch told USA TODAY. "It's designed to fail."

Welch denounced the Republican leadership for "trivializing" the debt limit and potential for default. "They're playing Russian roulette with our economy with a loaded gun," he said.