The Hill News

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee dismissed the contingency plan proposed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to raise the debt ceiling on Tuesday.

"The McConnell plan is not satisfactory to anybody for a couple reasons. One, it's a political solution, not a real solution," said Van Hollen on the Bill Press Show.

"Second, it allows members of Congress to duck responsibility and accountability for their own actions. Remember that we have to lift the debt ceiling to pay for bills that we've already incurred."

Last week McConnell (R-Ky.) unveiled what he called a backup plan to raise the debt ceiling.

The plan gives President Obama broad authority to raise the debt ceiling in three small increments that can only be blocked by resolutions of disapproval by Congress. Obama could block those resolutions if they fail to get the support of a two-thirds majority in both chambers of Con! gress.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has begun negotiating with McConnell on the terms of the proposal.

Van Hollen said McConnell's plan allows legislators to blame President Obama for disregarding the deficit.

"These are for things that members of Congress have already voted for and what McConnell wants to do is allow members of Congress is say 'hey, I don't want to pay for things that I already voted for, what I want to do is point fingers at the president. So, in that sense it's totally ducking the responsibility," he added.

"The only virtue it has is that it recognizes that it would be catastrophic to the economy if we allow the United States to default on its obligations."

Van Hollen's comments come as mom! entum for McConnell's plan grows in Congress. Senate a! ides hav e indicated that the plan is likely to become the preferred debt-ceiling proposal.

On Monday, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said that the plan is the only sensible solution.

“I see the Reid-McConnell bill as the only practical way forward,” Feinstein said on MSNBC.