John Boehner Face The Nation the President is really not serious about tackling the big problems that face our country TEXT VIDEO

FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT:

HARRY SMITH: Today on a special edition of FACE THE NATION, House speaker John Boehner and President Barack Obama headed for a showdown over the debt crisis. As the nation reaches the limit on its debt, both sides say it should be increased, but Republicans want strings attached.

REPRESENTATIVE JOHN BOEHNER (R-Ohio/Speaker of the House): Without significant spending cuts and changes in the way we spend the American people’s money, there will be no increase in the debt limit.

HARRY SMITH: The President says, no way.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Let’s not have a-- a-- a-- the kind of linkage where we’re even talking about not raising the debt ceiling. That’s going to get done. But let’s get serious about
deficit reduction.

HARRY SMITH: Hearing what the President has to say, what does it make you think?

REPRESENTATIVE JOHN BOEHNER: Well, it makes me think that he’s really not serious about tackling the big problems that face our country.

HARRY SMITH: You don’t think he’s serious about the deficit reduction?

REPRESENTATIVE JOHN BOEHNER: He’s talking about it but I’m not seeing real action.

HARRY SMITH: We’ll also get the speaker’s thoughts on the Republican plan for reforming Medicare, the mortgage crisis and what’s next after Bin Laden.

All ahead on FACE THE NATION.

ANNOUNCER: FACE THE NATION with CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer. And now from Washington, substituting for Bob Schieffer, Harry Smith.

HARRY SMITH: Good morning and welcome to a special edition of FACE THE NATION. We’re at the Capitol this morning and we are speaking to the Speaker of the House John Boehner. Mister Speaker, good morning.

REPRESENTATIVE JOHN BOEHNER: Good morning.

HARRY SMITH: I’m going to get back to Monday when you were in New York speaking to the Economic Club and you made a lot of news because you said, you know what, we can have a conversation about raising the debt ceiling but it’s got to go hand in hand with reducing the deficit. Have you given serious thought about what parts of the deficit, what-- what would be traded here?

REPRESENTATIVE JOHN BOEHNER: Well, I think it’s the time to deal with the big problems that face our country. We’ve got spending that’s out of control. We’ve got an economy that’s not producing jobs. A lot of economists believe that-- that all of the debt and all of the spending is causing uncertainty and causing job creators to sit on their hands. I used to be a small businessman. I understand what uncertainty does. And I think it’s time to deal with the pressing fiscal problems that we have here in Washington. I’ve been here for twenty years. I’ve watched leaders who look at this problem. It’s like looking up at a mountain and seeing how tall it was and how steep it was and deciding, nah, we’ll kick the can down the road. Well, guess what? We’re running out of road to kick the can down. And I want us to deal with the big problems that
are facing us here in Washington.

HARRY SMITH: We had a town meeting earlier this week with the President talking about economic issues. And we talked about that very subject. I’d like you to take a look at what he had to say. We-- we came precipitously close to a-- a government shutdown--

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Yeah.

HARRY SMITH: --within recent memory. And now the next potential real falling out is with the debt ceiling. And Speaker John Boehner said this week, “You know what, we’ll be happy to help you raise the debt ceiling. We want equivalent deficit reduction for every dollar we raise the debt ceiling.”

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Hm.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Well, first of all, we both agree, John Boehner and I agree that we got to reduce our deficit. Second of all, we both agree that we’ve got to raise the debt ceiling.
Now a lot of Americans, by the way, when you ask them, should we to-- increase the debt ceiling, and they say no we’ve already got enough debt. Why would we you know, increase our limit on our credit card when we can’t pay what we’ve already got on there? The-- the-- the problem is that the way the federal government finances itself is we sell debt to investors, other countries, et cetera, through Treasury bills and if at any point somebody thought-- if investors around the world thought that the full faith and credit of the United States was not being backed up. If they thought that we might renege on our IOUs, it could unravel the entire financial system. We could have a worse recession than we already had. A worse financial crisis than we had already. So we can’t even get close to not raising the debt ceiling. But we also have to reduce the deficit. And-- and what I’ve said is let’s not have a-- the kind of linkage where we’re even talking about not raising the debt ceiling. That’s going to get done. But let’s get serious about deficit reduction. And I’ve put a-- a plan on the table that takes four trillion dollars out of our-- out of our deficit and debt. The question is, are we going to have some compromise? Is it going to be balanced? Are we going to make sure that no single group, not seniors, not poor folks, not any single group is carrying the entire burden? Let’s make sure that the burden is shared for making some tough choices.

HARRY SMITH: Can you-- can you even start a conversation on that?

HARRY SMITH: Hearing what the President has to say, what does it make you think?

REPRESENTATIVE JOHN BOEHNER: Well, it makes me think that he’s really not serious about tackling the big problems that face our country.

HARRY SMITH: You don’t think he’s serious about deficit reduction?

REPRESENTATIVE JOHN BOEHNER: Well, he’s talking about it. But I'm not seeing real action yet. And I just think this is the moment. We all know what the problems are. Why don’t-- why don’t we just deal with them? No more kicking the can down the road. FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT in PDF FORMAT

TEXT and VIDEO CREDIT: "CBS NEWS' FACE THE NATION."

Martha Roby Weekly Republican Address TEXT PODCAST VIDEO 05/14/11

Podcast of the address: Download MP3 for PODCAST || FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT BELOW. || Download Video MPEG Video || MP4 Video

Martha Roby Weekly Republican Address TEXT PODCAST VIDEO 05/14/11

“Hello, I’m Representative Martha Roby. It is a great honor to speak to you today about the challenges our country faces. “I do so, not only as the representative of Alabama’s Second Congressional District, but also as a mother concerned about the future for my kids, and yours.

I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve gone to the grocery store and found myself in a conversation about the price of gas, the cost of going to the doctor, or about how hard it is to get a business going and keep jobs in our area. The sad conclusion of these conversations is that Washington is a part of the problem. It is failing to promote policies that will put our economy on a path to prosperity.

“The price of gas is a good example, and a timely one too. Year after year, politicians in Washington talk about steps to ease the pain at the pump, but they never act. It hit home this spring when the president promoted Brazilian-made energy in Brazil while his administration keeps our resources here at home under lock and key. I am pleased to report the House has passed several measures designed to expand domestic energy production to help address the soaring gas prices. This is also important because when we’re talking about energy, we’re talking about jobs. The cost of energy is directly related to the cost of hiring workers and running a business.

“The cost of government is also hurting our economy. Washington’s failure to enact policies that promote long-term economic growth and balance the budget is creating uncertainty for employers and consumers alike.

“For years now, Washington has kicked the can down the road without facing up to its spending addiction. Not anymore. The big spenders have been put on notice and are on retreat.

“The American people reject the idea of giving Washington a blank check to increase the debt limit. The House is listening. Republicans have made clear that there will be no increase in the national debt limit, unless it is accompanied by significant spending reforms that truly change the culture of spending in Washington.

“To get there, everything should be on the table – everything, that is, except tax increases. We cannot tax the same people we expect to create jobs. That is a recipe for keeping people out of work. The threat of tax hikes - along with the torrent of rules and regulations coming out of Washington - has employers sitting on their hands at the worst possible time.

“The Republican budget put forward by Chairman Paul Ryan ends the threat of job-crushing tax hikes. It also preserves critical programs like Medicare. Because, again, the greatest threat is doing nothing. If we do nothing, Medicare will simply run out of money. Without action, seniors’ benefits will be cut. Under Chairman Ryan’s plan, seniors 55 and older would not be affected in any way. That is an important point. For those of us under 55, we must take steps to ensure Medicare will still be around when we retire.

“It is time for Washington to get serious about the challenges that face our country. This includes putting our fiscal house in order and addressing the soaring gas prices. The greatest threat to our economy, job creation, and the future of our children is to do nothing. We have to act. It is what we were sent to Washington to do.

“Finally, I would like to take a moment to thank all Americans for the overwhelming support and especially the prayers you have sent to the people of Alabama in the wake of last month’s devastating tornadoes. We have needed them. As have the people of Tennessee and all those along the Mississippi dealing with terrible flooding.

“It is heartbreaking to see our friends and neighbors go through tough times. But, as always, the people of our state are coming together to lend a helping hand to do what needs to be done.

“I am proud to represent people who care so deeply about their communities. Their perseverance and strength only motivates me more as their representative in Congress. I owe it to them not to let this critical moment pass without acting to ensure the American Dream is alive and well for our children and grandchildren. If everyone in Washington felt the same way, we could accomplish a great deal more.

“Thank you for listening.”

VIDEO and IMAGE CREDIT: HouseConference

TEXT CREDIT: Speaker of the House John Boehner Contact H-232 The Capitol Washington, DC 20515 P (202) 225-0600 F (202) 225-5117

AUDIO / VIDEO FILES CREDIT: The House Republican Conference - Digital Communications visual.media@mail.house.gov 202-225-5439