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
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This guy is going to be a horrible speaker, he really has no clue. All he is good at is pandering to his base
Sorry cry baby Boehner, you are ONE federal worker that should lose your job IMMEDIATELY!...along with the other GOP-Tea baggers that want to cut police officers jobs, fire fighter jobs, the department of education for our children, grandma social security and grandpa medicare....in order to extend the federal govt. TAX BREAKs to BIG CORPORATIONs and WALL STREET FAT CATs!!!
Americans are finally waking up to the reality of the GOP-Tea Party policies of cutting American JOBS!!!...instead of creating JOBs JOBs JOBs that they campaigned on!!!
GOP-Tea NUTs...how is that Contract with America slogan of creating jobs working out for ya?
Why don't you cut all that money your spending to manipulate foreign governments? Jobs, jobs, jobs, the Republicans complained for two years and now screw the jobs is the new mantra. They'll then blame Obama for the job losses. Republicans could not care less about you poor and middle class America. Wake up.
So he's going to call this "The Job-killing Republican Budget Bill" I assume?
American Exceptionalism -Supply Side Economics-Ballooning Deficits-Huge Unemployment...The Republicans are from the government and they are here to help!! Lord where is common sense, where are the JOBS, JOBS, JOBS,JOBS that were priority ONE during the campaign. Cannot pay billls, cannot feed families with words, need ACTION, JOBS LEGISLATION.
Good examples at the end, but those aren't the people potentially losing their jobs. Federal employees losing their jobs refer to people who work in money draining government occupations (i.e. post office) that the government can longer (and should not) sustain.
Good idea, cut jobs that have been created under Obama so you can complain more when his accomplishments have been shrunk.
Boehner "under fire", eh? That sounds like hate speech and violent rhetoric CNN.
But hey, as long as the rich can keep their money... so be it.
Still waiting Boehner the Bonehead, for you to turn your back on that 100% free, government provided (totally socialist) healthcare you get, that you swear the rest of us should not have and are better off without.
This appears to be the Republican mantra. Bush lost 8 million jobs and killed the economy. Remember that Bush started with a surplus and Clinton had created 25 million jobs in 8 years. This "so be it" attitude on the right will not last forever. Once there has been reduced Federal spending in the small towns with poor people, many of which are Republicans, perhaps they will feel differently about tax breaks for millionares and billionares at the expense of their jobs.
One way to reduce federal worker is to cut some of all those paper shuffle aide on the congrees person staff.Bless.
Why no comments allowed on Sharon Angle?? Thought we were rid of her.
Above comment still awaiting moderation-what gives CNN???
Boehner's Bunch is long on rhetoric and pitifully short on substance. Let's see whatcha got Johnnie Boy. It's time to put up or punt.
If in fact the Federal Government work force has grown by 200,000 in 2 years, then Boehner is right, they need to experience cuts like everything else. As far as Madam Pelosi, I was hoping not to hear any more of her Chicken Little remarks since she is no longer Speaker.
The GOP does not care about jobs for the middle class. They just want to cut spending so that they can give more tax cuts to the wealthiest.
Dear Mr. Boner,
Lets start the cuts in your district, then we'll go down the list of Tea baggers a cut there. The squeaky wheel gets the first cuts.
Crybaby Boehner should lead by example & be the first to go.
Good! Let's start with his job.
How is it that Boehner cries (literally) about his poor upbringing, and yet he attended Xavier Universtity, a very expensive private college?
Did he have to get one of the pell grants or government student loans that he now wants to cut out?
Well then, lets start with defense spending if we are serious about cuts Mr B.
Cut defense spending and we won't need to cut jobs. Hmmm wait, I thought the Republicans wanted to create jobs.
How about we cut Congress pay back to the median income of the average household in America.
I am not surprised at Boehner's remarks. He i s not interested in the masses of American People. All I have heard him do is berate our president, undermine him in any way. It is OK to criticize, but have something to offer. To me Boehner is a VERY insecure man with NO ideals or solutions to todays problems. He is too old in his thinking, has a codependency personality, couldn't stand on his own if his life depended on it. He wants to take America back 50 yrs. He wants the masses of the people to be slaves, surfs to the wealthy.
The wealthy in the past were TRUE PATRIOTS, BUILDERS, INVESTED IN THIS COUNTRY. If the wealthy were all that concerned they would invest in this country, hire people. Check the jobs created by the wealthy since the tax reduction by Bush, trickle down theory by Reagon. Did they invest in America? Did they invest in off shore tax shelters so they would not have to pay tax. Did they outsource jobs, privatize public roads, bridges. Look for slave labor so they would not have to pay a living wage here. Ross Pariout predicted this years ago. We need to invest in education,science, research & development. There r no absolutes but based on what I have observed many wealthy people give less than a dam abt America. This means wealthy Dems and Reps. The difference is many of the GOP are bought and paid for by people like the Cook Brothers, the ones who want to destroy Pres. Obama. I think the YOUNG EDUCATED progressives in this country see the hand writing on the wall. The GOP are SPIN MASTERS they brainwash the ones who have no knowledge as to how the system works. Most only listen to FOX, BOEHNER, PALIN, BAUCHMAN, COULTER, MCCONNELL, the ones who spread hate, division, lies, and venom. We need leaders who use terms like US, OUR, WE, . Boehner, Kasick are users, opportunist, figureheads. Boehner for the wealthy, Kasick using Ohio for a stepping stone to further his own personal political agenda 4 a higher political position. Reduce the deficit, hahaha so we have to spend lots of money to secure his house in Westerville when he could have moved to the govrn. mansion in Columbus. His behavior shows what he is all about. who he is, who he represents. NOT THE WORKING, MIDDLE CLASS PEOPLE.
The dems idealists continue to ignore reality. This will not end well.
And if the Republicans lose their majority in the House of Representatives in the next election, "so be it."