(CNN) – House Speaker John Boehner had some choice words Tuesday for his colleagues in the Senate over the forced spending cuts set to begin Friday.
Boehner, known for his at-times colorful language, said the House won't move a budget bill until the Senate "gets off their ass and begins to do something."
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He made his comments to reporters after speaking to the House GOP conference on Capitol Hill. Ahead of President Barack Obama's trip to Newport News, Virginia Tuesday afternoon, Boehner criticized the president for holding campaign-style events about the spending cuts, rather than acting to prevent them.
At issue is a disagreement over how to stave off the automatic, across-the-board cuts, known in Washington as the sequester. Democrats and Obama want to replace it with a mix of more specific cuts and an increase in taxes through the closing of certain loopholes.
Republicans, on the other hand, say taxes are out of the question.
"He's gotten his tax hikes," Boehner said, referring to the-end-of-the-year fiscal cliff bill that raised tax rates on top earners. "It's time to focus on the real problem here in Washington and that is spending."
Building onto the criticism, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said Obama is hardly willing to meet Republicans in the middle.
"The president says we can't have any progress on this sequester unless we get the second tax hike in eight weeks. That's not compromise," Cantor said.
Later Tuesday, Senate Majority Harry Reid responded to Boehner's remark.
"I was raised in a little town that had 13 brothels in it," the Nevada Democrat said. "So I am used to some pretty salty language as you know."
Reid then read out Boehner's quote.
"I think he should understand who is sitting on their posterior," Reid added. "We are doing our best here to pass something. The speaker is doing nothing to try to pass anything over there."
Earlier in the day, Reid said Senate Democrats have a "balanced proposal" to replace the sequester with "smart spending reductions" and "measures that close corporate tax loopholes and wasteful subsidies and revenue from the very wealthiest among us."
Despite their proposal, however, Reid definitively stated the cuts will still take place due to GOP opposition.
"My Republican colleagues are standing in the way of a solution," he continued. "They only want cuts and more cuts. They are willing to sacrifice three quarters of a million American jobs rather than ask multi-millionaires to pay a penny more."
– CNN's Ashley Killough contributed to this report.
From CNN Politics
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Reid is not productive and has not solutions. He can only point blame (just like the president) – he's worthless. Time for him to move on – like Pelosi – their BS has hurt our economy and nation. How can anyone defend an argument made by a party who hasn't balanced a budget in the four years??? It's also against the laws of the land. Nixon was impeached for less. Good for Boehner !
KMA Boo-Hoo.
@eciam: the speaker (and many of his fellows) have short memories. Remember they thought to make a mockery of the affordable care act by renaming it Obamacare. That move backfired big time. He may want to rethink this Obamaquester business because if history is any judge, this one may come back to bite them as well.
@Dominican mama:
You can call it being on a "constant campaign mode" or "scaring the populace" or tutti frutti", we couldn't care less what the hell you think or want at this juncture.
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I gave up trying to understand why these fools thought we WOULD care what they say. It's all jibber-jabber and always will be.
Only a house republican like Boehner would have the audacity to blame someone else for a crisis they have created and are commandeering.
"A big tax increase was just voted in 6 weeks ago."
No it wasn't. It was voted in 12 and 10 years ago. That "tax increase" was actually just taxes returning to their pre-Bush-tax-cuts levels AS WAS VOTED IN 2001 and 2003 WHEN THEY WERE PASSED IN THE FIRST PLACE. That's undeniable fact. Just because the GOP/Teatrolls stood in the way of the tax cuts expiring AS WRITTEN for several years doesn't suddenly mean that the people who enforced their expiration are responsible for a tax increase. They were REQUIRED to expire WHEN ENACTED because the GOP used Reconciliation to shove them down everyone's throats and prevent the Dems from blocking them from ever existing in the first place. Ignoring the actual historical record and facts doesn't make your alternate reality any more legit.
hope obama gets on the bully pulpit in 2014 – he won't have to worry about a "shellacking" truth be known, the shellacking will end up with congress.
don't he have some nerve........his azz was on vacation all last week.............hell he is leading the pack on obstruction
Call it like it is John Boehner...the White House and the Dems initiated the Sequester...let them swim in their own CRAP for a change.
Calling it like it is may not be as bad as CONSTANT Lying which is what this Admi and the DEMS are known for and very, very, very good at!!
Has anyone every heard Boehner take responsibility for anything? Ever heard him say "My bad."?
Spending bills must originate in the House. The current House has done nothing.
Case closed.
The taxpayer well is running dry and I hope the conservatives stick to their principles. Oblabla is done and if you stand with the fools you'd better be prepared to go work for your handout – the end is near 47%!
There is no way to fix this wiht out spending cuts and increase in revenue.
Was there a TEAR running down his cheek as he was saying that?
"I got 95% of what I wanted out of the Sequester Negotiations" – John Boehner, 2012
He was playing checkers while Obama was playing chess....
He does realize people will blame REPUBLICANS for this, despite how much they try and spin it....
The fact that he is standing in front of a sign that says "Obamaquester" says it all. The Republicans have absolutely no interest in getting off their a** and doing anything. They want to see the sequester happen so that they can attempt to pin it on the president. As with most everything they do, it's going to backfire on them. Most Americans view the GOP as the reason for the sequester. They correctly see them as the one's unwilling to come to the table and compromise. Just another nail in the coffin of the Republican party.
Shorter Boehner: "I got us into this mess. Now you get me out of it."
Millionary protectors strike again!
Closing loop holes is a tax increase? I need to look that one up. Nope, in the dictionary a loop hole is the way for a crook to legally steal from his counterparts. Nice try GOP.
Well said Boehner a few words say it all... Obama needs to face the House & Senate in person if he has the guts !! Time to Get something done if he can manage to. Talk about not able to do the job!! 4 years now and No Budget No Nothing What apoor excuse for a Leader !!!!!!!!
World to Boehner- your party and your House are on fire: DO SOMETHING.
Democrats dont want a budget or a path to fiscally sound footing for our nation, they want a blank check signed by the taxpayer. Nothing more!
Boehner: I got 98% of what I wanted.
GOP, you own this sequester.
Lock, stock and barrel.
.
Where's Obama campaigning today? He's back from his second vacation of the year, right?