Cantor says no to jobs bill spending
Washington (CNN) - House Majority Leader Eric Cantor continued to reach out to work with President Obama on his jobs bill Monday, but emphasized that Republicans are focused on items they support in the plan like the tax breaks and will oppose the administration's request for new federal spending for infrastructure projects.
"Anything that is akin to the stimulus bill is not going to be acceptable to the American people," House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said.
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The number-two House Republican argued that the 2009 stimulus that aimed money at boosting public sector jobs didn't work and instead the GOP wants to target aid to small businesses.
"The fact is we don't have the money and we've got to prioritize and right now it's about getting people back to work," Cantor said.
In addition to throwing cold water on more federal spending to rebuild schools and roads, Republicans pushed back at the president's proposal to limit tax deductions on high end wage earners and close several tax loopholes as the way to pay for his $447 billion jobs package.
"I sure hope that the president is not suggesting that we pay for his proposals with a massive tax increase at the end of 2012 on the job creators that we're actually counting on to reduce unemployment," Cantor said at his weekly session with reporters on Capitol Hill Monday.
House Speaker John Boehner's spokesman also said the White House's proposal to pay for the $447 billion jobs bill was unacceptable.
"It would be fair to say this tax increase on job creators is the kind of proposal both parties have opposed in the past," Michael Steel said in a written statement.
But Steel added Republicans want to find another way to pay for it, "We remain eager to work together on ways to support job growth, but this proposal doesn't appear to have been offered in that bipartisan spirit."
Cantor cited tax credits for employers, reforming aid for the jobless, and passage of the three pending trade deals as areas he sees as ripe for bipartisanship. While he agreed that infrastructure projects were worthy of focus, he said Congress should not be adding new money, but instead streamlining the process for getting current resources to state and local governments.
He repeated his criticism that the president's repeated "pass my bill" message was not sitting well with Republicans.
"I do not think the president's all or nothing approach is something that is constructive," Cantor told reporters, adding, "let's not allow the things his bill that we disagree with to get in the way of producing some results."
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this bill is a payback for teachers union, labor, no help to business.... give me a break..get real and do it right..
WHERE ARE THE JOBS??? My husband has been unemployed for 2 years and underemployed about 2 years prior to that. And no, thanks to TPerry he was able to draw unemployment for one year. What are you suggesting people in his position do? For a man to work 45 years and to see there is nothing out there for him, what is he supposed to do? Wait till you can retire? Yea, right. Construction is at a standstill. I didn't think Cantor would help the middle class.
"Anything that is akin to the stimulus bill is not going to be acceptable to the American people," House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said. Maybe not the one tooth, low IQ nitwits you represent Mr. Cantor. But stimulus for the average American will be accepted. Please pick a side and stick to it, you sound a little psycho, he wants people to get back to work but not on infrastructure, you want jobs but you don't want to spend. Exactly where are the jobs your party promised a year ago? Face it those aren't coming back especially when India and China offers cheap labor without unions.
A Republican "leader" saying "No" to something President Obama proposed?!? I'm shocked, shocked I say! Why don't the Republicans simply present their own ideas for job creation, then let serious discussion and compromise take place to come up with something both parties can live with and that the American people can get behind? DO SOMETHING YOU IDIOTS WARMING CHAIRS ON CAPITOL HILL!
Hey Republicans ~ Just where ARE those JOBS you promised?? Why don't you put country ahead of party for a change?
Suprise suprise....the GREED OVER PEOPLE PARTY wants to keep millions out of work to put ONE person (Obama) out of work. I guess the white man just cant stand not having the White House!
You either take the hole Bill or none of It. We all know you Republican would be OK with the Tax Breaks. Like I all way say the Republican and the Tea party only worry are Protecting the Rich and Big Business. they don't care about the work people. And they don't care about putting people back to work either. Just how much more of this Republican and the Tea Party all way saying NO to Everything are the American people going to put up with. Now they are saying no to Putting People back to work.
""The fact is we don't have the money and we've got to prioritize and right now it's about getting people back to work," "
We don't? Last I checked, there are several hundred billion dollars worth of preferential tax loopholes and deductions favoring the rich and corporations contained in the tax code. Add in the subsidies we give industries like gas/oil and the package is paid for...with approximately $20B in leeway in case it runs over. Look it up.
"Anything that is akin to the stimulus bill is not going to be acceptable to the American people,"
Cantor got that right. Bailing out unions and growing state and local governments didn't do anything the first time and wouldn't work this time.
What will work is cutting taxes, cutting spending, and cutting the intrusion of government into our lives.
There it is – more from the party of no. The GOP will pay the price at the polls in 2012.
It is excellent to see how clearly the Republicans in the House do get it. They understand how economics work and they will not be pulled into Obama's political game at the expense of taxpayers, the unemployed and our economy. I mean, wouldn't we all love to build lovely bridges and fix all of the roads and power lines and take care of the struggles of the unemployed, etc. But the money is not there. The money is not there for the spending on this stuff we did over the last 2 years. And this is why we have debt at $15 trillion and it's already been downgraded once.
This is a difficult situation our government spending has gotten the country into and it will be a lot of sacrifices and work to get back out. Look at how much trouble it took to cut the 2011 budget by $100 billion. Now Obama wants to spend 4 1/2 times that?!?! It takes the country in the wrong direction for things that have proven not to work.
Again, it is not time to spend. It is time to manage and put together a plan out of this mess. Huge new debt is not the way out of huge old debt.Thank goodness ( and the American voters in 2010 ) we have the Republicans figwatching out for us in Washington.
What makes Eric Canton think that he speaks for the "american people". I didn't vote for him, he is not representative, I would never want him to be my voice. Maybe Eric's problem is that he forget he doesn't represnt the United States, but his own state.
Mr. Cantor, I find it rather humorous that you don't like the President's "all-or-nothing" approach, since that is exactly how Republicans have been acting for the last two years on pretty much everything. Trying to strike a tone of compromise seems rather dry and empty coming from you. So let's not be the pot calling the kettle black, shall we?
BTW, "we don't have the money" is total nonsense on any level. They don't say that when it comes to suddenly ignoring all of our obligations in order to cut government revenue even further. Oh no...when it comes to giving the rich and corporations MORE tax cuts and LESS responsibility for helping this country run itself, be successful, compete, progress, etc., there's suddenly no reason to consider our obligations and expenses as anything serious but rather things that can simply be thrown away at a whim because, doggone it, those poor, suffering rich b-stards and giant corporations/industries need a break.
WOW! What a startling surprise!!! A Republican saying No! to Republican job ideas! You just knew they were going to do it, it was simply a matter of time. Once again the GOP has decided to knife the midlle class to appease Grover Norquist and the corporate gods.
Cantor and Boehner really want to ride that elevator allllll the way to the bottom.
Good luck, boys!
Most Republican lawmakers don't have a clue what Americans think or want. They are so out of touch with the rest of us that it would be funny if it weren't so pathetic. And I hope they get their heads handed to them on a platter in the next election.
Eric – Not that any of us believe these "tax cuts for job creators" works but so that you can begin to think of your answer, here's a key question:
How do you plan to PAY FOR these tax breaks?
"We remain eager to work together on ways to support job growth, but this proposal doesn't appear to have been offered in that bipartisan spirit."
This statement is almost funny until you look at the unemployment situation. They are insane and beyond ridiculous.
In Cantor's statement he seems to be implying – no more extended unemployment benefits. Okay, fine but what solutions does he have to put people (who are honestly looking) for jobs back to work? (R)s offer absolutely NO solutions only confrontation. What are people supposed to do until 2012? Starve to death? Please vote these disgraceful people out in 2012 so the country can once again thrive.
Here goes the spin, again. CAN THEY JUST WORK TOGETHER, FOR GOD SAKE! I'm so tired of this. In so may words they're not going to agree on anything unless he gets exactly what he wants. I think it's time for baby Cantor to take a nap, he's fusy again. We need ADULTS making the HARD decisions, not monkeys like cantor saying the samething over and over again.
I would love to see huge infrastructure projects, geothermal power plants, bridge and roads, electrical grid all funded with a 50% capital gains tax rate. Why would any "job creator" start or expand a business when they can park their money in the stock market and only pay 15% tax on the gains? Put some pain on the capital gains rate and watch the money flow out of the market and into real estate and business.
"Anything that is akin to the stimulus bill is not going to be acceptable to the American people," House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said. – This man clearly does not know what American's want. They should lead of with "YES, WILL, WE CAN" . Instead of leading off with anything that contains 'NO, NOTHING, IS NOT, CAN'T". Same old GOP BS. The Republican party the Party of NO and Americans be dammed.
Who is this j*ck*ss to say what the "American People" want? We want him out of office. Why is it that the idea of spending money on infrastructure is so bad when Dwight Eisenhower, A REPUBLICAN, did it in the 50s'?
Other than Obama resigning, is there anything Cantor would vote FOR?
I find Eric Cantor's criticism of the president for wanting the bill passed as is, a little ironic and hypocritical since he walked out on talks on debt when he did not get every thing he wanted.!! Eric Cantor will take anything in the bill that he agrees with (i.e. those things that the president has already compromised on) but will not give an inch on anything else. THAT is not working with the presiident-- that is the same old selfish childish "I want it my way" Does he think the American people are dumb? Does he not realize that he does not speak for the majority of the American people but may for a few.
Hey Cantor-Your district is so small-how do you dare speak for the "American People"-you surely don't speak for me.
At least it's clear now-the Repugs will not support anything that helps the middle and working classes in this country-even if the program IS totally paid for in 10 years!
Anybody in the Middle Class or working to scrape a living together who also belongs to the Tea Party–or even the Republican Party now since it is virtually the same thing-get your head out of the sand-you are voting against your own self interest in favor of the corporations that keep you continually in your current state.
Class Warfare? Hell–the Republicans and Corporations have been conducting Class Warfare in this country since the 1880's.