In a rare sight, the ordinarily off-the-cuff Speaker used a teleprompter for his statement in the most formal of Capitol settings – the Rayburn Room just off the House floor. He took no questions from reporters, and within minutes, Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.), issued statements echoing Boehner’s message.
“What we can do,” Boehner continued, “is avert the cliff in a manner that serves as a down payment on – and a catalyst for – major solutions, enacted in 2013, that begin to solve the problem.”
If Congress does not act before Jan. 1, taxes will go up on virtually every American, and automatic spending cuts that both Democrats and Republicans have decried will kick in. The combination could send the nation back into recession, economists have warned.
Boehner’s remarks came as part of a carefully choreographed effort by House Republicans to assert their share of authority
“For purposes of forging a bipartisan agreement that begins to solve the problem, we’re willing to accept new revenue, under the right conditions,” Boehner said. “What matters is where the increased revenue comes from, and what type of reform comes with it.”
“Does the increased revenue come from government taking a larger share of what the American people earn through higher tax rates?" he said. “Or does it come as the byproduct of a growing economy, energized by a simpler, cleaner, fairer tax code, with fewer loopholes, and lower rates for all?”
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