House Speaker Says Senate Plan 'full of Gimmicks'

WASHINGTON — House Speaker John Boehner says Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid's plan to deal with the debt and avert a government default is "full of gimmicks."

Speaking to reporters Monday, Boehner praised the House GOP plan of an immediate $1.2 trillion in cuts and spending caps coupled with a $900 billion debt ceiling increase, followed by creation of a congressional committee charged with producing nearly $2 trillion in additional cuts.

Reid favors a $2.7 trillion package in spending cuts that would also push the government's borrowing authority through next year, a timeline that President Barack Obama and top Democrats are demanding.

Boehner said the Reid plan does not make any real changes in the spending structure of the government and fails to deal with Medicare and Medicaid.