Washington (CNN) - House Speaker John Boehner said Tuesday if some federal workers lose jobs because of Republican-proposed spending cuts, "so be it." But House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was quick to say "not so be it."
"Over the last two years since President Obama has taken office, the federal government has added 200,000 new federal jobs and if some of those jobs are lost in this, so be it," Boehner said during a news conference with reporters at the Republican National Committee. "We're broke! It's time for us to get serious about how we're spending the nation's money."
Boehner, who was joined by other House Republican leaders, criticized the President's budget proposal for not cutting enough and said Republicans would address entitlement reform when they release their budget blueprint this spring.
"Republicans will not punt," said Boehner. "Everything's on the table. We will put forward a budget that deals with the big challenges that face our country…I have no doubts that all of these issues [Social Security and Medicare] will be on the table."
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi seized on Boehner's comments in a speech on the floor, saying Republicans' proposed cuts would leave many in the cold.
"Democrats do not subscribe to Speaker Boehner's verdict that if jobs are lost in this continuing resolution, so be it," Pelosi said. "Maybe so be it for him. But not so be it for the people who are losing their jobs."
Asked at a news conference about Boehner's comments about federal workers, New Jersey Democrat Rob Andrews pounced.
"What I'd wonder – so what if it's air traffic controllers that make the skies safe? So what if it's FBI personnel working in labs that do DNA testing of suspects? So what if it's border security officers keeping people from getting into the country illegally? So what if it's USDA meat inspectors that make sure our food supply is safe? So what if it's people who test the cleanliness of our drinking water or test for radioactivity in our land?"
– CNN's Rachel Streitfeld contributed to this report.
From CNN Politics
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
Not only should all the "Sop" federal jobs be deleted but WELFARE AS WE KNOW IT should be deleted.....NOW!
In the last year, Obambi has INCREASED Welfare by 54%!!!!!
But regardless what HAS to be done to reign in the "out of control" debt and spending.....the Republicans will be blamed! But I do not care who is blamed....I will (and all sane thinking people in the US) vote FOR the party who has the GUTS to do it!
At least the Weeper has a clue. Pelosi was the worst speaker in history and she is back in her designated role as a selfish agitator set on bankruptiing America. How many times does she need to hear – WE DON"T HAVE THE MONEY.
Wow that is very responsible. Im glad that John Boehner is so unconcerned with jobs. Who cares about losing a job or two? Its not Boehner losing his job right? so what does he care??
Where was Boener and friends when they last had control of Congress during Bush/Cheney's record spending binges with the War for Corporate Welfare in Iraq, Pharmaceutical Lobbyists Welfare bill, creation of a massive new agency to oversee the other agencies that don't coordinate (still don't ) efforts, and sky-high defense budgets to give Boener's district military-industrial complex welfare to build spare jet engines that we don't need.
First get rid of the Government's "HAPPY HOUR I MUST MISS A VOTE IN THE HOUSE" BOEHNER.
Keep blowing gas Boehner – it plays right into the Democrats hands. Bottom line, nothing the GOP proposes will become law unless it can pass the Senate. And with an Obama win in 2012, then will need to wait until 2016, at the earliest, for a hope to re-take the White House.
This exreme rhetoric has got to stop, the USA isn't broke, whyare they constantly stating made up facts, why are American citizens contributing to SS every pay period & being told we're not entitled to our own money. If people would do their own research, read!! they wouldn't be so easily led by this GOP propoganda machine!!!
U know what??? Stop with the demogoging already Princess Pelosi!
The Fed. Govt should NOT have increased its size esp. in the economic times of 2yrs ago. Everywhere else was cutting back except for the the size and scope of Govt. So now the Dems have grown the govt, spend $5 Trillion of Chinese money and to show for all of that, we still have a bad economy, bad housing market & ended up mortgaging our children's future.
So now the Dems solution to this quagmire? We the American people must pay more for their (the Democrats) stupidity and irresponsibility in higher taxes. Wow! Isn't that great logic that u could only find fr a Democrat! Lets spend more, borrow more, and tax more! ReallY??
How many of you are aware that most of the Liberal Bloggers on this site are on Welfare????By choice!
Did you know that under Obambi Welfare has increased by 54%!!!!
Since boner keeps saying they we are broke then why did it fight so hard for a tax cut for the rich. WERE ARE THE JOBS????????????????? Boehner. I need a job.
Lets see if I have this straight: he does not care if some of the 200,000 people who have gained jobs from the Feds lose their positions? He does know these people are helping paying off the debt he drove us into with the 700 billion in tax cuts for the wealthy, right? Which is a better solution, employed government workers, or satisfying your pinhead base? What am I saying, of course its the latter!
BTW Mr. Speaker, eliminate your own pay, then you can say that without looking like an idiot.
The government is not a jobs works program!!! No one has a guaranteed job! If the Obama Admin has added 200,000 jobs in 2 years I sure we can cut some of them without making a=the skys any less safe!
Pelosi, of course, is indifferent to the fact that paying the legions of federal drones is one of the things that's killing the US economy. As far as she's concerned, the more AFSCME and SEIU members the better, all continuing to pay off the Democrats with "campaign contributions"–read "bribes"–to protect their make-work jobs.
You certainly don't need many of the deadbeat jobs Obama created. I'm with John never could be with the mouth, Pelosi. Let them go. Obama has cut most of the government workers wages and has not given SocIal Security a raise in two years with a third ALREADY SCHEDULED TO NOT RECEIVE a COLA. OF COURSE THIS DOES NOT affect the ones on Welfare. The wages went up there. This man is only for A CERTAIN GROUP. I HOPE THEY'RE ENOUGH TO GET HIM RE-ELECTED. FORMER 50 YEAR DEMOCRAT WHO IS NOW INDEPENDENT AND PROUD OF IT. I'M JUST SETTING BACK and watching moron destroy AMERICA.
The GOP promised to create jobs if elected. We can now see that their agenda is to DESTROY jobs, drive the unemployment rate even higher, and then try to blame it on President Obama in 2012 in their effort to make him a one term President, and get a Republican in the White House. This is all a political stategy. Ever since the "Republican Revolution" of 1994, the GOP's philosophy has been win at any cost, no matter what it takes, the ends justifies the means, etc.
Boehner said during a news conference with reporters at the Republican National Committee. "We're broke! It's time for us to get serious about how we're spending the nation's money."
_________________________________
Then he started crying for the RICH people because it is soooo hard for them to pay taxes and such ... I mean buuuuuuuuu why is life sooo hard for them! my dear dear DEAR friends .. buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu argh buuuuuuuu life is hard for my friends .. my real friends ...
onces he clams downs .... he says ' but if the regular folks have to be fire ... ' so be it'!! with a smile.
Pelosi is a pig spending liberal, a has been, and hopefully will be crossing the river Styx soon.
Yeah, the way to create jobs is to eliminate jobs. Brilliant!
Fire bone head, he doesn't give a rip about the working class American's typical republicans, welfare to the rich and corporate rats, and to heck with the workin class. He needs to see a proctologist to get his head in the right place, it defintely is nowhere in sight.
Really! So the same democrats that grew gov by +200, 000 jobs are now crying about have to lay some of them off – they knew damn well there was no $$ to sustain such big government, but now they are demegoging the issues,,,,,,typcal democrat – always looking out to spend someone else's money.
What I havent heard from anyone is that congress is going to take a pay cut for the next 5 years.
And if in the next election congressional members lose their jobs, then so be it.
Of course..Boehner just wants to return to the failed policies with lack of oversight that got us into this mess.
As long as those like his sweethearts(the Koch brothers) don't have to pay a dime in taxes we can all join the unemployment line. Mr. Boehner is part of a movement that hopes to turn the US into one big company store. This country is going because of people like Mr. Boehner whose past policies have result in this country giving taxe breaks to big business that in turn ships out millions of jobs. We are going broke because the cryer of the house and his ilk are selling us by the pound.
"...if some of those jobs are lost in this, so be it...We're broke!" And, Mr. Speaker, we'd be even more broke, in fact, we'd be in a depression, if the President hadn't taken stepped to create those 200,000 jobs which helped our economy and kept thousands of American on good footing. I'd love to see how cutting those jobs would now somehow help our economy?... Fuzzy math anyone?