As the federal government stares down an unprecedented government default, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, of Butler, said he is still leaning toward supporting the debt-ceiling proposal crafted by Republican House Speaker John Boehner — even as Boehner revamps the plan amid criticism that it does not cut as much spending as advertised.

“I think it’s only stalled,” Kelly, R-3rd Dist., said in a telephone interview with the Erie Times-News today. “This (controversy) was good in the fact people had a chance to read it and look at some of the metrics being used. Now we can say, ‘OK we caught it, and we can make the bill even better and stronger now.’”

President Barack Obama and Congress are scrambling to settle on a compromise to raise the debt limit, or face national default. The deadline is Tuesday.

Kelly said he believes more House Republicans are slowly starting to support the plan floated by Boehner, R-Ohio, even though nonpartisan analysts from the Congressional Budget Office said it would cut about $850 billion over 10 years, rather than the $1.2 trillion initially promised.

Many Senate Democrats insist the short-term solution Republicans are crafting will leave the economy on shaky footing.

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