Republicans Leave Cheney Meeting Unsatisfied

Republican Rep. Joe Barton told reporters Tuesday he took his concerns straight to Vice President Dick Cheney in a closed-door meeting with the House GOP.

While Barton declined to say what specifically he said to Cheney, he told reporters he had serious concerns with the bill, its price tag and the timeline which the administration has imposed.

"Just because God created the world in seven days, doesn't mean Congress has to pass this bill in seven days," Barton said.

Barton said Cheney reacted "professionally and politely" to the concers raised by members over the bill.

"He is a paragon of patience," Barton said.

Pennsylvania Rep. Phil English said that he still had “a lot of unanswered questions” after hearing from the vice president. Maryland Rep. Phil Gingrey said there were “a lot of skeptics in the room.”

"I don't think anybody in that room has made up their mind on how they are going to vote on this,” he said.

Alabama Rep. Spencer Bachus said members feel “tremendous unease” over the Treasury plan. He said they “don’t have assurances” that it’s “the most constructive long-term solution” and don’t know where the $700 billion is going to come from.

Asked whether he thought the plan would pass, Bachus said: “Not without changes.”