Democrats Blast Cantor For Leaving Budget Talks

By Vanessa Remmers

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D- Calif.) told reporters Thursday that she was not pleased with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s (R-Va.) decision to walk out of the budget negotiation talks. 

“[Democrats raising taxes] is not a reason to walk away from the table,” Pelosi said during a press briefing.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Budget Committee, echoed Pelosi’s disappointment, adding that the budget negotiation talks are based on two principles: not harming the economy and taking a balanced approach.

“I’m disappointed that Leader Cantor has chosen to leave the talks … the Speaker of the House said it was time for an adult moment,” Van Hollen said.. “The reality here is that until our Republican colleagues are more concerned about the need to reduce the deficit than they are worried about what [Tax reform activist] Grover Norquist will say, we’re going to have a really difficult time reducing the deficit.”

While Rep. Van Hollen (D-MD) was reluctant to give specific examples of Democratic budget policy proposals in the budget talks, he did admit that the outcome will involve some sacrifice on both sides of the aisle. 

“It calls for significant cuts in discretionary spending … and it will impose pain,” Van Hollen said. “If you’re asking for significant changes in that area, why shouldn’t we be asking oil and gas companies to get rid of their taxpayer subsidies?”

With respect to American military involvement in Libya, Pelosi questioned the House Republicans’ opposition. 

“Whether they think it is constitutional or not is a curious question because the speaker himself in the past has said that the War Powers Act is not constitutional,” Pelosi said. 

Pelosi was both supportive and hopeful toward the President’s decision to gradually withdraw troops from Afghanistan. 

“The good news on that is that the President is bringing the war … to an end,” Pelosi said. “Many of us would like it to see this go faster than the path that was laid out, however, it may … as it is in the interest of our national security.”