Congressman Boehner Highlights Economists’ Warning that President Obama’s Tax Hike Will Hurt Job Creation

Aug 2, 2012

At a weekly press briefing today, Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) highlighted the newly-released list of 88 economists supporting the bipartisan effort to stop the small business tax hike that threatens jobs and the economy. As Congressman Boehner noted, Republicans are the only ones who have taken action to address the small business tax hike that will hurt our economy, and ‘sequester’ defense cuts that will compromise our national security. Following are excerpts of Congressman Boehner’s remarks:

ON THE 88 ECONOMISTS WHO AGREE THE PRESIDENT’S SMALL BUSINESS TAX HIKE WILL HURT THE ECONOMY AND SHOULD BE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY:

“There’s bipartisan opposition to the president’s small business tax hike, which was reflected by the House vote yesterday. Experts agree, and today I’m releasing a list of 88 American economists who believe that the president’s small business tax hikes are the wrong prescription for our economy.”

ON PRESIDENT OBAMA CAMPAIGNING FOR TAX HIKES HE ONCE SAID HURT THE ECONOMY:

“Two years ago, on December 6, 2010, President Obama said stopping a tax hike was the right thing to do for our economy. On December 9, 2010, President Obama urged Congress to pass bipartisan legislation to stop all the tax hikes because higher taxes ‘will have the effect of fewer jobs.’ And on December 15, 2010, President Obama said that preventing the tax hikes was necessary to ‘help our economy.’

“What’s changed? Economic growth is even worse now, and the American people are still asking the question, ‘where are the jobs?’

“But now, the president is out campaigning for a plan to raise taxes on small businesses that Ernst & Young has indicated would destroy about 700,000 American jobs. He insists that our struggling economy needs a tax increase on small businesses.

“Now listen, I think this is just flat-out nuts, as President Obama pointed out himself – over and over again – just two years ago.”

ON PRESIDENT OBAMA BEING “UTTERLY AWOL” ON STOPPING HIS ‘SEQUESTER’ DEFENSE CUTS THAT THREATEN NATIONAL SECURITY:

“Just as President Obama’s small business tax hikes threaten our economy, his ‘sequester’ threatens our national security.

“Last year, the president insisted on these irresponsible cuts, promising to work with us in a bipartisan way, so that they would never, ever threaten our national security. Instead, he went out and hit the campaign trail.

“And he’s been utterly AWOL in dealing with us on both the deficits and our debt. Now, with his sequester about to hit the military, he’s AWOL on protecting our national security.”

ON REPUBLICAN LEADERS PLEDGING TO RECONVENE THE HOUSE IF SENATE DEMOCRATS PASS LEGISLATION TO STOP LOOMING TAX HIKES & REPLACE DEFENSE CUTS:

“Yesterday, we sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that said that if Democrats were to pass a bill to stop all the tax hikes that we’d bring the House back. And, if they were to pass a set of reforms and cuts to replace the sequester, we would be happy to bring the House back.

“By the end of the week, only House Republicans will have passed a plan to address both of these threats. The only question now is: will Senate Democrats follow? We stand ready to act when they do.”

ON REPUBLICANS’ RELENTLESS FOCUS ON JOBS & ADVANCING SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS TAX HIKES & DEFENSE CUTS:

“You know, as we head into the district work period, I want to say how proud I am of our members and the work that they’ve accomplished.

“This is still a Democrat-run town, and there’s a lot more progress that needs to be made. But our members have made a real difference in changing the direction of the country, they’ve been relentlessly focused on creating jobs and fixing our economy.

“Washington Democrats are scared. They’re hiding. Desperately hoping to get through the fall election without anyone noticing that – when it comes to Americans’ future – they have no plan.

“Republicans have been advancing real solutions on behalf of the American people, and we’re the only to have addressed the tax hikes that threaten our economy, and the defense cuts that threaten our national security.

“I think the American people, mark my words, are paying attention. And I think they’ll remember.”