Looks like Boehner is holding firm for now on increasing taxes. The base is watching very closely to see how much stomach these GOPers have to clamp down on spending and getting the government to live within its means.
Politico
Speaker John Boehner told President Barack Obama Saturday that he would not move forward with talks on a large-scale deficit reduction plan, pointing to taxes and entitlements as the main sticking points.
Boehner will still attend a meeting Sunday at the White House with other congressional leaders, but a Republican familiar with the negotiations said a smaller package worth more than $2 trillion would be the speaker’s target for raising the debt limit.
In a statement released by the Ohio Republican Saturday night — just a day before talks with Obama — Boehner said the “White House will not pursue a bigger debt reduction agreement without tax hikes.”
“I believe the best approach may be to focus on producing a smaller measure, based on the cuts identified in the Biden-led negotiations, that still meets our call for spending reforms and cuts greater than the amount of any debt limit increase,” Boehner said in the statement.
White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer countered in his own statement Saturday night that Obama wants “a balanced approach that asks the very wealthiest and special interests to pay their fair share as well, and we believe the American people agree.”
More here
Memeorandum
