Back to the White House

Posted by White House

On the flight back the President spoke briefly with reporters, exchanging a few pleasantries and discussing his shaved ice preferences ("I'm a plain shaved ice guy. No beans, no ice cream, no sweet milk on top"). But the President also addressed what he expects to see in Congress in the weeks ahead:

Q A serious question: Are you concerned you're going to get a chilly reception in Washington? Republicans, on Sunday, were talking about the first thing they’re going to do is repeal health care. They’re talking about asking you to get rid of Eric Holder, the Attorney General. It sounds like a relatively chilly reception awaiting you.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I mean, I think that there’s going to be politics. That's what happens in Washington. They are going to play to their base for a certain period of time. But I'm pretty confident that they’re going to recognize that our job is to govern and make sure that we are delivering jobs for the American people and that were creating a competitive economy for the 21st century; not just for this generation but the next one.

And so my expectation, my hope is that John Boehner and Mitch McConnell will realize that there will be plenty of time to campaign for 2012 in 2012, and that our job this year is to make sure that we build on the recovery. We started to make good progress on that during the lame duck, and I expect to build on that progress when I get back.

Boehner vs. His Party: Republicans Still Holding Middle Class Tax Cuts Hostage

Posted by White House

Over the weekend House Republican Leader John Boehner changed his position and came out in support of the President’s plan to provide middle class tax cuts, even without additional tax cuts worth about $100,000 to millionaires and paid for by borrowing $700 billion that we don’t have. Time will tell whether this change will lead to anything but continued support for the failed economic policies that got us into this mess, but for now we are certainly pleased to have his support.

However, shortly after his original statement, it became clear that Republicans remain intent on holding tax relief for middle class families hostage. As the Washington Post reported:

Even as Boehner shows voters that he is willing to be flexible, he has created some confusion within his party on the issue. Many GOP lawmakers, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), believe it's a big mistake to raise taxes on anyone during an economic downturn. They want all the Bush cuts extended, no exceptions, a position McConnell vigorously reasserted Monday by introducing legislation for full extension.

According to McConnell, he will try to lead Republicans to block the continuation of middle class tax cuts – which would result in every single middle class family paying more taxes next year – unless large additional tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans are also added. Instead of working to pass middle class tax cuts that everyone should agree upon, McConnell is urging his Republican Senate colleagues to continue to follow his strategy of obstruction and gridlock that hurts American families. McConnell even boasted "That's a debate we're happy to have," adding, "That's the kind of debate that unifies my caucus." It’s also noteworthy that even after Boehner’s concession that blocking middle class tax relief would be the wrong thing to do, other House Republicans, including Boehner’s second-in-command Eric Cantor and House Republican Conference Chair Mike Pence, continued to say they would do their best to do so.

If Republican Leader Boehner took his position in order to show that he was not “holding middle-class tax cuts hostage,” then clearly the implication is that Senate Republicans are prepared to do exactly that.

Perhaps they have some things to talk through.