Boehner And New GOP Leaders: We'll Do The American People's Will

By A.J. Swartwood-Talk Radio News Service 

 John Boehner, Speaker-Elect (R-Ohio) of the House of Representatives, and the newly chosen GOP leadership renewed their commitment to do the will of the American people and change the way Congress does business Thursday morning.

“This is not about us, it’s about the American people. Because it’s the American people who are in charge,” said an upbeat Boehner.

 Boehner was surrounded by his new leadership team which included Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Virg.) the new Majority Leader, Jeb Hansarling (R-Texas) the incoming Republican Caucus Chairman, and Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) the new Majority Whip. 

 “They want a congress that focuses on the people’s priorities: cutting spending, creating jobs, and reforming the way congress does its work… and that’s exactly what were going to do,” he declared.

 The Ohio Congressman also made mention of an earmark ban that the Republicans adopted earlier in the day, citing it as a sign of a new era in Washington politics.

 “That shows we’re listening and shows we’re serious about ending the business as usual here in Washington D.C.”

"Voice Of America" Heard Loud And Clear

By Samira Sadeque

Republican leaders are being vocal on the heels of Tuesday’s election applauding the American people for ensuring that their voices were heard across the country.

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said if Republicans and Democrats want to “meet in the middle,” Democrats must learn to listen to the American people. 

“[The voters] yesterday made a clear statement about what they’d like to see done,” McConnell said. “We hope that [Democrats] will pivot in a different direction and work with us on things that the President said he is for, and most of my members are for.”

Ohio Republican and, in all likelihood, the next House Speaker John Boehner said in the aftermath of Tuesday’s victory, the time for action is now.

“This is a time for us to roll up our sleeves and go to work on the people’s priorities: creating jobs, cutting spending and reforming the way Congress does its business,” Boehner said. “Its not just what the American people are demanding, it’s what they are expecting from us.”

The top House Republican touted their “Pledge To America” saying it emphasized focus on the priorities of the American people.

“The new majority of Congress will be the voice of the American people and we clearly expressed that last night,” Boehner said.

Gibbs: Putting Off Tax Vote Won't Hurt Democrats This November

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs defended members of the Democratic party on Thursday for leaving town without voting on extending a series of Bush-era tax cuts.

When asked during today’s briefing whether not voting will hurt Democrats at the polls this fall, Gibbs replied, “I don’t think a candidate needs a vote to express what they support.”

Earlier in the week, Democratic leaders were thought to be on the precipice of holding a vote on the issue, despite knowing they lacked the required amount of support. Most Democrats agree with the White House’s desire to extend tax cuts only for Americans making $250,000 or less per year. But Republicans and centrist Democrats have called for extending tax cuts for all taxpayers, regardless of income level.

Senate Democrats officially abandoned their efforts last week, and yesterday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) announced that his chamber would take the issue up in November, after the midterm elections.

In a speech delivered at the American Enterprise Institute on Thursday, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) accused Democrats of creating uncertainty by punting on the tax vote.

“We could not get a simple up or down vote,” he said. “We can’t keep kicking the can down the road. We’ve run out of road. It’s time to do what we say we’re going to do.”

Gibbs, however, said Democrats were prepared to vote, but the GOP stood in their way.

“I think we could’ve [held a vote] but Republicans weren’t interested.”

Republicans Unveil New Contract

A small group of Republicans on Thursday released their “Pledge To America,” a 21-page document that outlines what the party will do if it wins back Congress this fall.

The manifesto proposes a bevy of government reforms, from slashing spending to repealing President Obama’s healthcare law. The pledge is low on specifics, but features ideas submitted by members of the public through the GOP’s “America Speaking Out” website.

“Our pledge to America is that the Republicans stand ready to get it done and beginning today,” said House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio).

“The land of opportunity has become the land of shrinking prosperity,” said Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), a key architect of the document. “Americans across this country are outraged, and so are we.”

Boehner and McCarthy were among a dozen House GOP’ers who made the trek to Tart Lumber in Sterling, Va. to unveil the pledge. Republicans chose Sterling, a Washington, D.C. suburb located roughly 45 minutes outside the city, as a more modest alternative to the ceremony held in 1994 on the Capitol steps in which over 100 Republicans announced their “Contract With America.”

Pelosi Clarifies: No Tax Breaks For The Rich

During her weekly press conference on Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) elaborated little on the issue of extending tax cuts, saying the “only thing I can tell you is the tax cuts for the middle class will be extended this Congress.”

That statement prompted some reporters to question whether or not Pelosi was possibly considering supporting tax cuts for all Americans - a position supported by nearly all Republicans.

Politico’s Jake Sherman wrote that Pelosi’s comments left “open the possibility that cuts for people making more than $250,000 could be extended at some point, too.”

However, a spokesman for the Speaker clarified her remarks in a statement released hours later.

“The Speaker has made her position abundantly clear and has repeatedly said that she supports President Obama’s middle class tax cuts. The Speaker is opposed to extending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest 2 percent because they add hundreds of billions to the deficit and do not create jobs,” said spokesman Nadeam Elshami.

“As the Speaker said during her news conference today when asked whether she’s open to an extension of the tax cuts for the wealthy, she responded: ‘not for the wealthy, no.’”

Pelosi’s number two in the House, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), made news earlier in the week when he told reporters that he would be willing “to discuss alternatives so we can move forward.”

Hoyer, however, quickly made it clear that he would not support furthering tax cuts for the nation’s top earners.

“Unfortunately, the reports of my answer implied a willingness to support an extension of Bush policies. That is incorrect.”
 
Pelosi did not say when she expects a vote on keeping the tax cuts alive to occur. If neither chamber can get a vote lined up in the next two weeks, then the issue will likely have to be taken up after the November elections.