John Boehner Proposes Trillion Dollar Spending Cut; Slash Dem Spending Back to 2008 Levels (Video)
Posted by Jim Hoft on Wednesday, September 8, 2010, 11:29 AM
GOP Leader John Boehner called for cutting federal spending back to 2008 levels before the Obama-Pelosi democrats added a Trillion dollars to the national deficit.
Via HotAir:
From GOP Leader John Boehner’s Office:
During an appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) said both parties should work together this month to promote job creation by cutting spending to 2008 levels and freezing all tax rates for two years. Boehner set out this two-point plan for September action on the economy just hours before President Obama was scheduled to appear in Cleveland — an event the White House has admitted is a direct response to an economic speech Boehner made in the same city two weeks ago. President Obama’s latest economic proposals fall well short of what is needed to address the two main problems hampering job creation: excessive government spending and the uncertainty Washington Democrats’ policies are causing small businesses. House Republicans’ plan tackles both problems, immediately and decisively. Following are excerpts from Boehner’s interview:
BOEHNER SETS OUT TWO-POINT PLAN FOR IMMEDIATE, BIPARTISAN ACTION ON THE ECONOMY:
“What I’d like to do is work on a bipartisan basis to do two things. First, instead of waiting until after the election to put together some big omnibus spending bill with a bunch of wasteful spending, why wouldn’t we do this? Why don’t we pass a bill this month at 2008 spending levels — before the TARP, before the bailouts, before the ‘stimulus’ — and let’s put some certainty in the economy. … Secondly, why wouldn’t we work together to make it clear that all current tax rates will be extended for the next two years? What that will do is help small businesses, who have no clue what the coming tax rates are going to be, and give them some certainty. If we’re able to do this together, I think we’ll show the American people that we understand what’s going on in the country and we’ll be able to get our economy moving again and get jobs growing in America.”
BOEHNER SAYS PRESIDENT OBAMA’S PROPOSALS FALL WELL SHORT OF ADDRESSING THE TWO MAIN PROBLEMS HAMPERING JOB CREATION:
“I think the president is missing the bigger point here. … With all of the spending in Washington, and all the uncertainty facing small businesses — including the coming tax hikes on January 1st — until this uncertainty and spending is under control, I don’t think these are going to have much impact.”
BOEHNER ON BEING THE TARGET OF WHITE HOUSE ATTACKS:
“I think it shows how out of touch the White House is. You know, the American people are asking the question, ‘where are the jobs?’ and yet, here’s the White House, worrying about what I’ve got to say instead of working together to get our economy going again and to get jobs back in America.”
BOEHNER ON GOP EFFORTS TO EARN BACK THE MAJORITY:
“We’ve got a lot of work to do, but when I travel the country and I travel my district, I’ve never seen the American people more engaged in this election and any election in my lifetime. So we’ve got a lot of work to do, but that’s our goal: to earn back the majority so we can renew our efforts to drive for a smaller, less costly, and more accountable government in Washington, DC.”
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Published February 8, 2012 at 8:42 pm - 108 Comments
Betsy Ross commented:
Sorry, but Boehner is part of the DC problem….where was he proposing spending cuts through the Republican majority?….gah…
kay commented:
heh.
yeah.
this won’t be happening anytime soon.
i foresee that republicans take the house and SHUTDOWN. media goes hyper orgasmic, Obama goes nutty and grins, TOTUS spews words of Obama-mania, and 2012 is grindhouse – inch vs. inch on the football field of politics.
Fantom commented:
Of course, the Repubs were not spending at the catastrophic levels of O’Blame-a now were they?
mark commented:
Seems kinda weird to see Dem spokespeople sitting there on ABC trying to pretend they are investigative journalists. That’s you Stephie…
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Valerie commented:
Boehner doesn’t need to worry about the Democrats. It’s the Republicans that are going to give him fits.
Wading Across commented:
It’s all well and good, but the proof is in the pudding. The public needs proof, not just words. And considering that the Republicans were part of the fiscal problem, we are leery of them when the GOP bigwigs start touting fiscal conservatism.
And I hope that attention to social conservatism, specifically life and marraige issues do not get bumped to the curb as they did in 1994 when the GOP triangulated political mechanations… otherwise their reboot in Congress won’t last near as long as it did between 94-06.
Betsy Ross commented:
I long for the day when the career politician is replaced by responsible Americans that show up to DC, restore the Republic to We the People, then step aside for a new group of responsible Americans to show up and do the same…no more career pols….well, that is my daydream for the day…
jenny commented:
Close down the EPA, the Department of Education and the Federal Reserve, that will save a load of money.
Stanley commented:
Four years of a Demoncrat Congress says it all, don’t you think?
Guy commented:
Obama is spewing his rhetoric in Cleveland as I write this, and I’m about to throw up listening to it. It’s just more of the same …blame, blame, blame, bash Bush, demonize anyone with wealth, blah, blah, blah ….
Where they came up with enough stupid people to fill the audience and applaud this garbage is is beyond me, but the very fact that those people exist in this country is half of the problem ….
Both parties are blowing hot air. I’m so sick and tired of this blame game and all these promises. We’re watching our jobs leave the country, businesses folding, and spending on ridiculous government programs skyrocketing, all because our politicians are so greedy and so self-serving that they think they can ignore the wishes of the people of this country.
The Tea Party has been sending them a clear message for two years now. We’ve had it with their corruption and backstabbing, and yet they continue to ignore us. There are DARK clouds on the horizon in America folks …
Lightwave commented:
If by “rolling back funding to 2008 levels” you mean “eliminating funding for everything Obambi and the Doofuscrats have passed in the last two years”…
I call that a start.
There’s much more I want to be hearing from Boehner, and those are the words “repeal” and “impeach”.
Or you will be replaced by those who will.
Stanley commented:
There is a single cloud coming that will be a light unto the children of God, but to the ungodly, it will be darkness.
Mikey commented:
Geez everyone, can’t you at least give the guy a chance? Are we going to be like Dems now and eat our own? Boehner isn’t one of my favorites either and I would rather have someone else take over from Pelosi, but hey, we get what we get. We bitch constantly about Pelosi and then when a Republican idea comes out- it is trashed. Way to go. Why don’t we just leave the Dems in power if we’re going to snark each other to death?
Red Rocks Rockin commented:
“It’s all well and good, but the proof is in the pudding. The public needs proof, not just words. And considering that the Republicans were part of the fiscal problem, we are leery of them when the GOP bigwigs start touting fiscal conservatism.”
Bingo–I noticed that Boehner doesn’t say specifically where these cuts are going to be made. Fiscally speaking, some sacred cows are going to have to be gored even to get the deficit back to $500 billion.
Right now, four things are taking up 67% of federal spending–Social Security, Medicare, unemployment/mandatory spending, and defense. Add in one more, Medicaid, and that’s 75% of federal spending on only five programs. Cutting just one isn’t going to do the job, you have to dip into more than one of those programs to even have a substantive impact.
Hypothetically, let’s say we cut every single penny of defense spending (yes, I know that won’t ever happen, but let’s indulge the progressive wet dream for the purpose of demonstrating how ruthless the math is here). That only cuts the structural deficit by half; to get the other $250B that trillion-dollar goal requires, you’d have to cut into another one of the Big Four or Five. Additionally, cutting all defense spending would simply result in some of the money moving from the defense column to the unemployment column–so in the end, those cuts aren’t as deep as first imagined. And those people now have to find jobs–where will the jobs come from?
Even cutting redundant govt. offices like the Dept. of Education and EPA, or pork from spending bills, would be irrelevant because they take up such a relatively smaller part of the budget.
No way any politicians in office right now would have the courage to fall on their sword to make this happen.
I don’t disagree with Boehner’s central point–that Obama’s policies are causing uncertainty in the economy–but his proposal seems more like demagoguing than what can realistically be accomplished. It also doesn’t address the 35-year credit bubble that finally popped in 2008, which is really the largest factor in all of this mess. That fundamental issue needs to be tackled in conjunction with reducing the federal deficit.
Betsy Ross commented:
Sorry, Mikey, but it’s pols like Boehner that helped get us into this mess. Back in the 2000′s Republican constituents were constantly complaining that their elected officials were spending way, way, way too much and the response from the career Republican pol was basically, “we know better, now, sit down, shut up, and by the way, send us money so we can get re-elected”. Well, I, for one, have HAD it. No more RINO voting for me…ever…
Mikey commented:
Betsy Ross: I AGREE with you. The Republicans were part of the problem. What I am saying is that we should still give them a chance. What are the alternatives. Right now our choices are Pelosi or Boehner. Like I said in my post above, I don’t like the guy either – but you have to admit he is better than botox face.
tarpon commented:
I think it appropriate that the federal gov be cut 75% for starters.
We sure now know there is nothing big government does that is worthwhile.
Betsy Ross commented:
Mikey, Republican voters, for too long, put up with wishy-washy Republican pols who, time and time again, expected the voter to re-elect them because they were a “better” alternative than a dem. Well, as we can see, this go-along-to-get-along RINO-style of politics has been a complete disaster for this Republic. It’s time for We the People to take this country back…let’s start by promoting solid Americans who want to preserve this nation, not pander to the electorate with more promises of “fiscal responsibility”…
Thanks for hearing me out, I understand what you are saying but we’ve tried all that…
Stanley commented:
Sometimes you, sometimes me, good cop, bad cop. The inseparable twins. Now you see it.
donh commented:
Finally the republicans offer some good ideas, a real plan…..one small step for man in the right direction, one giant step for american freedom.
Ginger commented:
What some people seem to be forgetting is there is going to be an awfully lot of new faces in both houses! You are bashing before you have reason to bash. We don’t have career politations running now that we are about to vote in. Geeeee give them a chance to clean house will ya?
Ginger commented:
I so want to hear Boehner say to Pelosi when he takes back the gavel is….. “This is a fu..king good thing.” Sorry about the language but had to repeat Biden as much as I could. Then I want Boehner to take that Jet away from Pelosi! Then I want Issac to be ready with hundreds of subpoena’s!
Arch commented:
There is so much bloat in Obama’s budgets, it is nearly impossible to overestimate. Take the Department of Education. Its FY2011 federal budget is $160.5 billion, plus an education jobs bill with another $10 billion.
The Secretary of Education’s org chart has 30 blocks. He has 16 direct reports. His Under Secretary has six direct reports; the Deputy also has six. There is an international affairs office, an office of innovation and improvement, an office of legislative & congressional affairs, a civil rights office, and a risk management service. All this structure exists to manage 4,700 full time employees whose average pay is $123K. If you divide $170 billion by 4700 people, you get $36M per person.
The federal government has no enumerated power under the US Constitution to have this department at all. Actually, it exists to collect taxpayer money and give it back to the states with federal mandates attached. The states and local communities provide 92% of the total educational budget, the part that actually operates schools and teaches children.
I have a suggestion. Abolish this unnecessary department and cut the FY2011 deficit by 12%. States would be able to abolish costly unfunded federal mandates and operate their schools without “help” from Washington.
We could work on HHS, DHS, HUD, FAA and EPA next.
donh commented:
The hidden message is no funding for Obamacare.
eaglewingz08 commented:
Why should it be 2008 levels when the democraps had been in office for two years and had shot spending through the roof even then making the deficit 400 Billion Dollars (which they lyingly then blamed on Pres. Bush). Jack the spending down to 2007 levels and we would have less than 200 Billion deficit. Nothing that the government has spent money on in the past three years, justifies such an onerous increase in the federal budget. Doing that would force Obama to shut down the government (but in this age I don’t think he’d get the favorables that Clinton got out of his shutdown).
Flavia commented:
Needs to go back a lot further than 2008, Boehner. We expect more than that, RINO.