Boehner says he's the 'most reasonable, responsible person' in Washington
(CNN) – House Speaker John Boehner, talking about the prospect of negotiating with President Barack Obama on a deal to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff, said in an interview Thursday that he is the "most reasonable, responsible person here in Washington" and that Obama knew he was ready to hash out a plan.
"Of course we'll talk about it. We talk about all kinds of things we may disagree on," Boehner said in the interview with ABC News.
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Congress faces an end-of-the-year deadline before massive spending cuts kick in and tax breaks begin to expire, including the Bush-era tax cuts at the end of December. The fiscal cliff also includes so-called sequestration - automatic across-the-board spending cuts set to trigger at the beginning of 2013 if Capitol Hill fails to create a deficit-reduction plan.
In his interview, Boehner echoed sentiments expressed Wednesday in a speech in Washington, in which he said higher tax rates would be unacceptable to Republicans who control the House.
"I've made it clear to the president, and I think I laid out yesterday - raising taxes on small business people is the wrong prescription, based on where the economy is," Boehner said Thursday.
"Frankly it couldn't even pass the House. I'm not sure it could pass the Senate."
The House speaker said he was glad to see Rep. Paul Ryan return to Congress, despite having lost his bid for vice president alongside Mitt Romney. But asked if Ryan was now the leader of the Republican Party, Boehner (who himself could be considered his party's leader) said the Wisconsin congressman was more focused on economic policy.
"I wouldn't think so," Boehner said. "Paul Ryan's a policy wonk. He's involved in the cause of trying to bring us pro-growth economic agendas for America and making sure that we're doing this in a fiscally responsible way."
Boehner said he had every reason to believe Ryan would return at chairman of the House Budget Committee.
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this guy is a puppet for the tea party and we need tostop pandering to them. Time to work togeather for the good of the whole contry. Forward. Repos haven't got the message yet? What do they want use to do hit them over the head?
Boehner is one of the Republican dinosaurs that's dragging that party down. Time for the party to show him the door.
Boehner needs to understand that there has to be comprimises. This goes for all of congress as well as the President. While we suffer they behave as children.
Reasonable? The guy who cries every 5 minutes? L-O-L
Sure! That's why he said the other day that allowing some of the Bush tax cuts was out of the question. Do these people know what the word "compromise" meanns?
Boehner could not deliver on any deal he negotiated in the last Congress. His caucus repudiated him and the deal fell through. Why will he be any more mepowered now?
Still a do nothing speaker.
The Republican party will not be bulling our President this term. Mitch McConnell your plan did not work. The people have spoken and we will be watching everything you do. We have our President's back.
Mr. Boehner gas a very high opinion of himself, and if he truly wants to move this country in the direction he SAYS he wants to, compromise is the key on both sides...obstructionist tactics are of no use to either party.
He turned down a 4 to1 deal in his favor, if that is reasonable and responsible than I have a bridge for sale.
What a disrespectful piece of trash this "thing" is butt his is what you get when you vote based on a person's color and not the content of their character. He's a scared little coward now and knows his time is almost over. I just hope the president stands up this time and does not let the likes of McConnell, Boehner and Cantor walk all over him.
We elected you again Mr. President and we expect you to sit at the head of the table and take control. If we go off the cliff – we go off the clift. I'll live with it. It's high time you let "these people" know you are the president elected by the people for the people and not special interests and egos. Stand firm against this ignorance known as the republican party and we will have your back.
The old white guy just threw the young Turk under the bus. And Republicans wonder why they lost?
The majority of American voters beg to differ. The sooner Mr. Boehner comes back to reality, the better. We won't stand for his partisan, teaparty-fueled unnecessary war against commnon sense and socail responsibility.
He has been crying like a child who lost his toy. It's time he starts acting like an adult elected official and stop playing undignified political tricks. We have a great president who makes Mr. Boehner's childish tirades even more embarassing. He is a small individual who has been given a second chance to grow. He should take it.
I want President Obama, to check the orange man on his reasonableness, giving him opportunity to get rid of the Bush Tax cuts for the rich! Then, have him pass the American Jobs Act, the Simpson Bowles Act, Tax reform and raise taxes on the rich millionaires and billionaires.
"most reasonable, responsible person here in Washington" Who are you and what have you done with John of Orange??? i remember him flaunting his treason by proudly stating 'we're the party of Hell, NO!' has he finally decided his job and his party's job is to help the American people, not spend every ounce of their energy trying to destroy a sitting president? it makes me almost cry to think how much farther along the recovery would be if these clowns had worked with Obama to fix the mess they made. we can only hope now that the motivation to make him a one-term president is gone, they'll find some motivation to do the job they were elected to do: govern!
Well.....nobody said Boehner would still be speaker in Jan! He's getting a little ahead of himself. Johhny Boy, you have two years to prove yourself. I'd recommend you stop believing your own press.
You lie!
Really sounds like the GOP is ready to negotiate and find common ground (NOT!). They are already drawing lines in the sand telling the country they aren't going to budge and instead will continue to be obstructionist.
Did they not get the message of the election. THEY LOST. The country does not support their agenda. Will they ever put country before party? They are an utter disgrace.
How can this individual say the things he does. He does not even work for the people in his district. He has run un-oppessed because of his well funded campaign by the rich and pwerful, when he attempts to bring in his working roots. I have contacted his office about a number of issues concerning the IRS and his office has refused to help me. I have now had to hire a lawer to correct a situation that could of easly been resolved by his office. I am sure if I was a big campaign contributer my issue would of been resovled, but since I am a registered democrat my requests go unanswered
So Boehner assumes the role of pathological liar of the Republican party taking over from Willard Romney.
reasonable...NOT...
Taken up writing comedy, John?
Boehner, the worst Speaker of the HOUSE ever. Done NOTHING for 4 years but get paid
Is this Boehner's inflated opinion of himself? Perhaps he is delustional.
If he is the most responsible guy in Washington than I am King of Alberta, Canada. The GOP lost, because you and your Congress buddies ticked off everyone.