"It's not rocket science. Let's start with all of the TARP funds. Let's get the TARP money back and use it to pay down our debt.
Scary...a would be speaker of the house who doesn't seem to know that most of the TARP money is being recovered and which has marginal effect on the national debt. The statement plays well with the base I guess.
Al
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John Boehner says reducing spending 'not rocket science'
STIMULUS
September 23, 2010|By Dana Bash, CNN Senior Congressional Correspondent
House Republican Leader John Boehner suggested Thursday the Republicans' pledge to extend all Bush-era tax cuts is crucial to fixing the economy, even if it adds an estimated $4 trillion dollars to the deficit.
"You can't solve the deficit problem until you get your arms around spending and have a healthy economy. And you can't have a healthy economy if you raise taxes on the American people," the Ohio congressman told CNN in an exclusive interview.
Speaking minutes after House Republicans unveiled their so-called "Pledge for America" agenda for governing, Boehner declined to give many specifics on how Republicans would fulfill their promise to reduce federal spending back to 2008 levels.
"It's not rocket science. Let's start with all of the TARP funds. Let's get the TARP money back and use it to pay down our debt. Let's bring all the unspent stimulus money back. You know, the stimulus was supposed to create jobs in America and it hasn't," said Boehner.
When pressed for examples of other cuts he would make, he repeated his call to return unspent stimulus and bailout funds to the federal treasury.
"There's $700 billion right there, " he said.
House Republicans are making clear that one of the key goals of their new agenda is to try to change the way Washington works, and is perceived.
A Democratic mantra is that Boehner is too cozy with Washington lobbyists. Boehner was unapologetic.
"I talk to everybody. You know, I'm one of the most open, transparent members of - of Congress. I have conversations with people who lobby me in my district, every place I go in the country. And, yes, there are some lobbyists in DC, believe it or not," he said.
"I'm a small business guy who stumbled into this political arena. And when people talk about my relationship with the business community, I'm sorry, I am the business community. That's who I am - the - the heart and soul of me. And when I see government, like I did as a small employer, choke the goose that's laying the golden egg, that's what drove me here, to fight for a government that allows the American people and the private sector to be the - the engine of opportunity for all Americans," said Boehner.
So no restrictions on lobbyists? It's going to stay the same?
"Look, we've got a lot of things that we've got to deal with over the next few months. We'll deal with them as they come up," Boehner responded.
The White House has increasingly personalized its opposition to Republicans in recent weeks by singling out Boehner. |
