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Speaker Boehner: “White House Has Wasted Another Week” Slow-Walking Economy to Edge of Fiscal Cliff

WASHINGTON, DC – At a press conference today, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said there is no progress to report on fiscal cliff talks, in light of the White House’s refusal to respond to Republicans’ balanced approach to avert the fiscal cliff, or to offer a plan of their own that can pass both houses of Congress.  Following are Speaker Boehner’s remarks:

“Well this isn’t a progress report, because there’s no progress to report.  When it comes to the fiscal cliff that is threatening our economy and threatening jobs, the White House has wasted another week.

“You know, eight days ago, Secretary Geithner came here to offer a plan that had twice the tax hikes that the president campaigned on.  It had more 'stimulus' spending than it had in cuts.  And an…infinite increase in the debt limit, like forever.

“Four days ago, we offered a serious proposal, based on testimony of President Clinton’s former chief of staff.  Since then there has been no counteroffer from the White House.  Instead, reports indicate that the president has adopted ‘a deliberate strategy to slow-walk’ our economy right ‘to the edge of the fiscal cliff.’

“Instead of reforming the tax code and cutting spending, the president wants to raise tax rates.  But even if the president got the tax rate hike that he wanted, understand that we would continue to see trillion dollar deficits for as far as the eye can see.

“Listen, Washington’s got a spending problem, not a revenue problem. 

“If the president doesn’t agree with our proposal, I believe that he’s got an obligation to families and small businesses to offer a plan of his own – a plan that can pass both chambers of the Congress.  We’re ready, and eager, to talk to the president about such a plan.”