Congressman Boehner Challenges President Obama to Stop the Gimmicks & Starting Working with Republicans to Create Jobs & Address High Gas Prices

Congressman Boehner Challenges President Obama to Stop the Gimmicks & Starting Working with Republicans to Create Jobs & Address High Gas Prices

Congressman Boehner Challenges President Obama to Stop the Gimmicks & Starting Working with Republicans to Create Jobs & Address High Gas Prices

Congressman John Boehner
April 18, 2012

At his weekly press briefing today, Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) took President Obama to task for focusing on political gimmicks instead of addressing the serious challenges facing the economy and Americas job creators. Congressman Boehner highlighted this weeks House votes on the Small Business Tax Cut Act and legislation expediting approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, and urged the president to help support Republicans efforts to enact these, and nearly 30 other jobs and energy bills that remain blocked by Senate Democrats. Following are video and excerpts of Congressman Boehners remarks:

ON HOW THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATIONS POLICIES HAVE BEEN ANYTHING BUT REMARKABLY EFFECTIVE:

You know on Sunday, Secretary Geithner said that the Obama administrations economic policies have been, and Ill quote, remarkably effective.

I dont think theres anything remarkably effective about 38 straight months of unemployment higher than eight percent the longest such period since the Great Depression. And I dont think theres anything remarkably effective about adding five trillion dollars of debt on the backs of our kids and our grandkids. And theres nothing remarkably effective about doubling gas prices and blocking more American energy production that could begin to address those rising gas prices.

ON PRESIDENT OBAMAS POLITICAL GIMMICKS THAT DO NOTHING TO HELP THE ECONOMY OR ADDRESS HIGH GAS PRICES:

Our country is facing some serious economic and fiscal challenges, and the global challenges that we have continue to mount. And all the American people are getting from the Obama administration are political gimmicks, like the so-called Buffett rule, that wont do a thing to create jobs in our country. Even the President has admitted that his Buffett tax is a gimmick that wont help our economy.

You know, yesterdays gimmick was this new focus on oil manipulation even though the White House cant produce one shred of evidence that this manipulation is taking place. And if they thought it was taking place they have the tools and the laws already in place to go after it. So heres the president using the Rose Garden for an announcement on tackling a problem that they have no shred of evidence even exists.

ON THE HOUSE VOTE ON THE SMALL BUSINESS TAX CUT ACT & OTHER ACTION REPUBLICANS ARE TAKING TO HELP THE ECONOMY CREATE JOBS:

And as Ive said before, if the president wont lead, Republicans will and we are.

While the president continues to push tax hikes, Republicans are focused on lowering taxes for small business owners. Tomorrow the House will vote on the small business tax cut, which will provide 20 million American small businesses with the resources they need to expand their businesses and hire more workers.

Its all part of our plan to help American job creators. Weve got 30 bills sitting over in the United States Senate, this will be one more. If the president wants to help create jobs and get our economy going, he ought to be calling Harry Reid and pushing the Senate Democrats to take these bills up.

ON HOUSE REPUBLICANS LISTENING TO AMERICANS AND FIGHTING FOR THE KEYSTONE PIPELINE THE PRESIDENT CONTINUES OPPOSING:

Republicans have also passed bills to expand American energy production that would address high gas prices and help create American jobs.

Today the House will take another step when we vote on the Keystone pipeline. Yesterdaythe Nebraska governor signed legislation to get the pipeline moving again. And the fact that the president has threatened to veto the Keystone pipeline just shows how out of touch he is.

The American people want us to build the Keystone pipeline; they want those jobs created now. Republicans will continue to listen to the American people.

ON THE PRESIDENT CAMPAIGNING INSTEAD OF WORKING WITH CONGRESS TO ADDRESS SERIOUS CHALLENGES:

You know, the president checked out last Labor Day. He spent the last six months campaigning from one end of the country to the other, instead of working with members of both political parties here in Washington to address the serious challenges that our country faces. Hes shrinking from his responsibility to lead and, rather, not using and not having any courage to help tackle these problems.

Listen, Americans are working harder than ever to create new jobs and opportunities despite the obstacles that Washington continues to throw at them.

Just think about what could be achieved if the president were serious about working with members here in Congress, on both sides of the aisle, to address the serious challenges that face our country.

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