John Boehner Responds to President Obama’s Pittsburgh Speech on the Economy

Uploaded on November 5, 2009 by House GOP Leader © All rights reserved.

GOP Leader: “It’s clear from his harsh partisan rhetoric today that President Obama has run out of excuses for his broken promises on the economy” Washington, Jun 2 - House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement today on President Obama’s speech in Pittsburgh, PA on the economy:

“It’s clear from his harsh partisan rhetoric today that President Obama has run out of excuses for his broken promises on the economy. Instead of creating the jobs and prosperity he promised, President Obama’s ‘new foundation’ consists of more spending, more debt, more job-killing policies, and more permanent bailouts, which is really no foundation at all. The President promised his ‘stimulus’ plan would keep unemployment below eight percent and create jobs ‘immediately,’ yet the unemployment rate remains unacceptably high at 9.9 percent, millions Americans have lost their jobs since the ‘stimulus’ was enacted, and one out of 10 remain out of work.

“If the President is truly serious about helping small businesses create jobs, we should focus on reining in wasteful Washington spending instead of sinking more taxpayer dollars into ‘stimulus’ programs that have failed to live up to the Administration’s own promises. And if the President is truly serious about helping our economy and saving our kids and grandkids from even more unconscionable debt, he should call on House and Senate Democrats to offer a budget that cuts spending right now to help create jobs.

“With a national debt now at $13 trillion, Americans are demanding fiscal sanity and real leadership from Washington. Republicans have listened to the American people and offered common-sense solutions to cut spending now in order to help spur job creation and get Washington’s fiscal house in order. It’s time for the President to step up, exhibit real leadership, and call on congressional Democrats to offer a budget that reins in out-of-control spending to help create jobs and get our economy moving again.

“The President diminishes the Office of the President when he resorts to straw man arguments that willfully mischaracterize the views of others. All of the President’s talk of post-partisanship, reaching out, and finding common ground reminds us that the country deserves better than his hyper-partisan speech today.”

NOTE: Noted economist Allan Meltzer of Carnegie Mellon University, a member of Leader Boehner's informal “kitchen cabinet” of economists, responded to President Obama's remarks on the economy today in Pittsburgh:

“When President Obama spoke at Carnegie Mellon University today, his rhetoric was divorced from current reality. His administration and the Congress continue to increase government spending. President Obama talks about reducing spending, but he hasn't vetoed a spending bill. Cities and states are about to go bankrupt or default on their debt, while the President mandates increased state spending for Medicaid. The reality is that the huge stimulus spending has done little to reduce unemployment. Long-term unemployment has never been higher in the past 60 years. Mr. President, it's past time to rein in the government and put the country on a path to future prosperity so we don't end [up] like Greece.”

Dr. Meltzer was one of 222 American economists PDF who signed a letter to President Obama at the end of 2009 surging him to take action to rein in federal spending in order to boost the economy and create jobs.