Boehner digs in on taxes
- John Bresnahan - Politico
- Jul 11, 2011
Speaker John Boehner said President Barack Obama must accept entitlement cuts and no tax increases in order to obtain a debt-ceiling increase from Congress, once again taking a hardline as GOP and Democratic congressional leaders head to the White House for talks on averting a U.S. debt default.
Boehner’s comments came after Obama repeatedly praised Boehner in his own press conference this morning for being willing to explore a “grand bargain” that would cut spending on popular entitlement programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security in return for as much as $1 trillion in new revenue. Boehner pulled out of those one-on-one discussions with Obama on Saturday after coming under criticism from conservative lawmakers and activists, including House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.).