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Politics Threatens America’s Future

Speaker of the US House of Representatives John Boehner Thursday rejected President Obama’s demand for increased power to raise the US debt and charged that the White House seems willing to “slow-walk our economy right up to the ‘Fiscal Cliff.’”

The White House and Congress face a year-end deadline to avert the Cliff of automatic tax hikes and budget cuts that experts fear could plunge the nation into another recession.

“The president wants to pretend spending is not the problem. That is why we do not have an agreement” to reduce the US debt, Mr. Boehner, the top Republican, told a news conference Thursday in Washington DC.

In underscoring the stalemate in negotiations, Mr. Boehner reiterated his opposition to giving Obama the power to raise the US debt limit without congressional approval.

“Congress is never going to give up our ability to control the purse,” Mr. Boehner said. “And the fact is, is that the debt limit ought to be used to bring fiscal sanity to Washington.”

Mr. Boehner seemed to brush off speculation fanned by Democrats that his concern about keeping his job was undermining efforts to cut a bi-partisan deal.

“I’m not concerned about my job as Speaker. I am concerned about our kids and our Grand Kids,” Mr Boehner said.

Obama is expected to discuss the F-Cliff later in the day, likely to try to raise the pressure on Republicans to accept increased tax rates on the wealthy as part of any deal.

“Unfortunately, the White House is so not serious about cutting spending that it appears willing to slow-walk our economy right up to the ‘fiscal cliff,’” Mr. Boehner added.