Exclusive: Speaker's Office Denies Shutting Down C-Span Feed

Speaker John Boehner came under fire from the blogosphere Wednesday after allegedly ordering the cameras C-SPAN uses to shut down during a moment of high drama on the House floor.

As House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer attempted to bring a two-month extension of payroll relief up for a vote, C-SPAN viewers suddenly saw the feed go silent and then shift to unrelated footage of the Capitol building’s exterior. Shortly after, the cable network Tweeted that they have “no control over the U.S. House TV cameras.” Instead, the Tweet read, “the Speaker of the House does.”

The progressive news outlet The Raw Story followed up on the occurrence with the headline “Boehner’s office cuts off C-SPAN cameras as GOP takes verbal beating” and the story quickly circulated across the web.

However, Boehner’s office denies having a hand in the incident.

“The House Recording Studio, which works under the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, operates the cameras in the House chamber,” a Boehner spokesperson told the Talk Radio News Service. “The Speaker’s office had no involvement in this matter.”

When contacted for clarification, a C-SPAN spokesperson explained that the Tweet was not intended to hold Speaker Boehner culpable. Instead, the spokesperson said, the Tweet was aimed at emphasizing that the cameras inside the lower chamber are owned and operated by the House itself, not C-Span.

Update (3:49 pm) Dan Weiser, the Communications Director for the Chief Administrative Officer, confirms that the Speaker’s office was not involved in the decision to end the live feed.

Weiser told TRNS that Hoyer’s statements on the floor came after the House was officially adjourned, which is typically when the cameras stop rolling.

“While there are seconds of live broadcast prior and subsequent to each meeting, on Wednesday, December 21, the broadcast continued for approximately 57 seconds after adjournment,” Weiser said. “That length of time is atypical and unintended and the office of the [Chief Administrative Officer] takes full responsibility for it.”

Obama Attempts To Bridge Support For Jobs Package

With the “functionally obsolete” Brent Spence Bridge at his back, President Obama challenged Republican leaders in Congress to approve his jobs bill that includes over $100 billion for new infrastructure projects and repairs.

Obama admitted that one of the reasons he chose the bridge — which connects Ohio to Kentucky — as his backdrop for today’s pitch, is because of its geographical ties to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

“[They] are the two most powerful Republicans in government,” he said. “They can either kill this jobs bill, or they can help us pass it.”

Though the president’s $447 billion plan covers a number of areas — including tax cuts and credits, broadband investment and mortgage refinancing for homeowners — it’s the funding reserved for infrastructure projects he focused on today. Obama urged lawmakers to quit squabbling over the need to reign in spending, and approve $50 billion worth of transportation funding included in the bill.

“If you want construction workers rebuilding bridges like this one,” he said, “pass this jobs bill.”

Ohio, in particular, would stand to receive just over $1 billion for highway and transportation projects. The White House says the money would create nearly 14,000 jobs in the Buckeye State, which is plagued by a 9 percent unemployment rate.

Obama argued that aside from the bridge behind him, there are numerous other area transit routes in need of repair.

“I can’t imagine that the Speaker wants to represent a state where nearly one in four bridges is classified as substandard,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Boehner thanked the president for bringing attention to the Brent Spence Bridge, which lies in a district that neighbors the one he represents.

“I know how important the Brent Spence Bridge is to our region,” he said. “I’ve long supported replacing the bridge, and I’m pleased the president is bringing attention to this much-needed project.”

However, Boehner complained that the president’s plan does not put enough emphasis on undoing regulations, which he said are hurting businesses in his state. Boehner also decried Obama’s plan to pay for the bill in part by raising taxes on those earning more than $250,000 per year.

“His plan, in my opinion, will destroy jobs by raising taxes on small businesses and our capital, the key ingredient, I think for job creation in our country.”

Yet, Obama stood by his pay-for proposal, arguing that it appropriately prioritizes a struggling middle class in need of help.

“The Republicans in Congress,” he said, “call this class warfare. Well you know what? If asking a billionaire to pay the same tax rate as plumber or teacher makes me a warrior for the middle class, I’ll wear that charge as a badge of honor.”

Boehner Bringing Business Leaders To Jobs Speech

House Republicans will be inviting a dozen business leaders to President Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress Thursday night in an attempt to highlight the real world impact of excessive regulations.

Among the attendees will be Henry Juszkiewicz, the CEO of Gibson Guitars, whose plant was raided by federal agents last month for allegedly using illegally imported wood.

“[They] put a real face on how these regulations impact business specifically,” House Speaker John Boehner told reporters Thursday morning.

The Obama administration has pledged to help the business community by ordering a government-wide review of existing regulations and cutting those deemed expendable. However, House Republicans claim that regulatory action currently under consideration by the White House could ultimately cost the U.S. economy over $100 billion.

Business leaders invited by the Speaker also include the Lisa Ingram, the Chief Operation Officer for the fast food chain White Castle and Rock Katschnig, a farmer who publicly urged President Obama during a town hall in Illinois to spare the agriculture from dust regulations.

President Obama will deliver his speech at 7:00pm. Although he will be addressing both chambers of Congress, numerous members have announced that they will not be attending. When asked what he thought Thursday about some Republican members’ decision to skip the speech, Boehner said that he had urged them to attend, but that the choice is up to them.

“Remember, I’m just the Speaker,” Boehner said.

Pelosi Predicts Little To No Democratic Support For Boehner Plan

By Vanessa Remmers

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told reporters Thursday that she expects few to no Democratic votes for the budget plan crafted by House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH).

Perplexed at the lack of compromise shown by Republicans on raising the debt ceiling, Pelosi noted that Democrats compromised with former President Bush on such an issue in the past.

In addition, Pelosi said that while the differences between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-Nev) and Boehner plans are stark, many initiatives in the Reid plan, such as using the overseas account and steep cuts, have been supported by Republicans in the past.

“They have a similarity in that neither of them has revenue, but that is not possible to pass in the Senate. But that is where the similarity ends.  The idea of a short-term or a long-term is not about a calendar, it’s about a holding up the process by saying we’re going to do this all over again … it’s just an unending hardship for the American people,” Pelosi said.

During her press conference, Pelosi also said she was not surprised at Rep. David Wu’s (D-OR) decision to resign, declining to comment further by saying, “the issue is closed.”

This Week On Capitol Hill

The Senate will vote on a bill Tuesday aimed at providing incentives for businesses to not ship jobs overseas.

The Creating American Jobs and End Offshoring Act would grant two-year payroll tax holidays for companies that take on new employees who perform services in the U.S. that were once done abroad. The legislation is in line with the Democrats’ ‘Make it in America’ agenda.

Business groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers have come out strongly against the bill, arguing that it will make U.S. companies less competitive in the global marketplace. Democrats, however, say the legislation will help create jobs.

Meanwhile, the House will vote either Wednesday or Thursday on legislation aimed at providing health monitoring and financial compensation to first responders and others that were injured in the 2001 World Trade Center attacks. The bill failed the first time around in July, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said she hopes to “have a strong, bipartisan vote to pass this critical legislation.”

On the issue of taxes, it appears extremely unlikely that either the House or Senate will take any action before adjourning for the final weeks of campaigning. While Pelosi has yet to completely rule out holding a vote sometime next week, most Democrats have signaled that they would rather address the issue after the midterms.

Jim Manley, the spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), said Thursday that the issue would be on hold for now. “We will come back in November and stay in session as long as it takes to get this done.”