Bright orange House Speaker John Boehner is pushing it down to the wire, trying to get the votes needed to pass one of these absurd bills the Republicans have cobbled together out of unicorn farts and magical thinking, and today he said that if credit agencies decide to downgrade the United States because of GOP obstructionism, well, that’s just beyond his control.

At his weekly Capitol briefing, a reporter asked him if he believed his legislation, if enacted would allow the U.S. to maintain its AAA credit rating. Boehner wouldn’t bite. “That is beyond my control,” he said. “All I know is that this bipartisan bill is as large a step as we’re able to take at this point in time that is doable, and signable and to become law.”