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Boehner: Election a 'mandate to work together'

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    House speaker on prospects of avoiding the 'fiscal cliff'

  • Duration 11:50
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Offering my congratulations to President Obama and the First Lady.

And Vice President Biden and a doctor -- Like many Americans.

I was hoping that the presidential election.

Would travel differently.

Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are good men -- good leaders.

Went -- issue of -- and Paul.

And -- and their families well.

But the American people have spoken they reelected broken Obama.

And -- again reelected their Republican majority in the house representatives.

If there's a mandate yesterday's results it's a mandate.

A -- to find a way to work together on the solutions.

To the challenges that we all face as a nation.

And my message today is not one of confrontation.

But one of conviction.

In the weeks and months ahead we face a series of tremendous challenges.

And great opportunity.

Just weeks away from now looms the so called fiscal -- Domination of automatic spending cuts and tax increases mandated by law.

Within months of the fiscal cliff congress will be asked to raise nation's debt -- Around the same time legislation will be needed to keep the government running.

As a continuing resolution under which we're currently operating -- march.

Amid all of these short term hurdles we face the greatest challenge of -- A massive debt that -- smothering growth and exceeding the entire size of our economy.

The -- -- -- you'll say that with the election ever we shouldn't we should confront.

The first of these challenges by simply lead in the top two tax rates expire.

And push in the sequester off to some other days.

They'd have us engage in the same short term temporary policies that have helped put us into this -- In essence they're saying let's have more the same.

Let's agree to drive our economy off part of the fiscal cliff instead of driving -- off the whole fiscal cliff animal calls a day.

You know might get us out of town but it won't get us -- -- the problem.

-- -- also hurt our economy.

But we can't you keep going on like we can't keep setting the bar that -- It's time that we raise the ball you know the American people.

This week didn't give us a mandate to simply do of the simple thing.

They elected us to leave.

They give us a mandate to work together to do the best for our country.

And we know what the best thing to do would be.

That would be an agreement the sends the signal to -- kind of me and to the world that after years of punting on the major fiscal challenges that we face.

When he thirteen is going to be different.

You wouldn't.

Be an agreement that begins to pave the way for long term growth is essential.

If we want to lift the cloud of depth is hanging over country.

And we all solve vote the problem of our fiscal imbalance overnight.

And certainly won't do a little lame duck session of congress.

Animals be solved simply by raising taxes are taking a plunge off the fiscal -- What we can't do is over the cliff -- -- manner that serves as a down payment on and a catalyst for.

Major solutions enacted and -- thirteen.

But to begin to solve the problem.

Mr.

President the Republican majority here in the house stands ready to work with you to do what's best for our country.

That's exactly what I told the president for earlier today.

That -- the will of the people and we won't answer to them.

And doing what's best means fully considering the impact of the policies.

Of the we might set in motion.

You know the independent accounting firm Ernst and young says -- -- over part of the fiscal -- and raising taxes on the top two rates.

Would cost our economy more than 700000.

Jobs.

-- wrong you don't also confirmed that many of those -- with a rate increase.

Will be small business owners.

The very people who both parties and knowledge are the key to private sector job creation.

There's an alternative to going over of the fiscal close in whole or in part.

And -- -- in real changes to the financial structure of entitlement programs and reforming our tax -- to curb special interest loopholes and deductions.

By working together and creating a fairer simpler cleaner tax -- we give our country stronger -- healthier economy.

A stronger economy means more revenue which is what the presidencies.

Because the American people expect us to find common ground we're went to accept some additional revenues via tax reform.

There's a -- for tax reform the supports economic growth.

Happened in 1986.

With a Democrat house Mumbai Tip O'Neill.

And a Republican president name Ronald right.

In 1986.

There -- were skeptics who doubt that the economic benefits of tax reform.

Although skeptics wrong.

At Stanford economist and former Treasury Secretary George Schultz put it.

Of the 1986.

Reform is a sort of unsung hero of the very good economic times we've had for a long time.

For the time has come again to revamp the tax due in a -- he argues.

Won't get a gusher and there'll be a response and revenue will come out.

But the American people also expect us to solve the problem.

And for that reason in order to garner Republican support for new revenues.

The president must be willing to reduce spending and shore -- entitlement programs that are of the primary drivers of our debt.

If were to put -- -- can you won't polls but are willing to present.

Were asking him to make good on his balanced approach.

The president's call for a balanced approach to the depths of the combination spending cuts increased revenues.

But a balanced approach is imbalanced -- means higher taxes on small businesses.

That are the key to give it our economy moving media and -- in that -- The balanced approach is -- -- that means that we increase the amount of money coming into the coffers of government.

But we don't cut spending and address entitlements at the same time.

A balanced approach is -- it was done in the old Washington way of raising taxes now and ultimately failing.

But to cut spending in the future.

A balanced approach is imbalanced and that means slashing national defense instead of making the common -- spending cuts that are truly needed.

Real economic growth eluded us in the first term of this president.

And without -- we can't solve our debt problem.

-- for the purposes of forging a bipartisan agreement that begins to solve the problem we're willing to accept new revenue under the right conditions.

What matters is -- of the -- revenue comes from and what type of reform comes what.

Does the increase revenue come from government taking a larger sure what the American people -- through higher tax rates.

Or does that come as a by product of growing our economy.

Energized by a simpler cleaner fairer tax those with fewer loop loopholes and -- road race for all.

-- and driver reform attacks good are we supporting growth by taking concrete steps to put our country's entitlement programs.

On a sounder financial -- Or.

Are we just going to continue to -- the matter of entitlements.

And thus the root of the entire problem.

Sure enough entitlements some reform and -- tax code palsy and special interest loopholes and deductions and moving to a fairer simpler system.

Will bring jobs home and result in a stronger healthier economy.

And history -- is that this is the right path to -- tax reform done in a manner in which I've described.

Will result in additional revenue that the president seeks.

It will support economic growth which means more revenue generator for the treasury.

And will improve the efficiency of this tax system which means additional revenue was well.

-- -- closer than many think -- that critical mass that's needed legislatively to get tax reform bill.

President -- talked about it extensively.

During the summer of -- what.

Senator Pat Toomey and chairman -- central and with support of other Republicans offered substantive proposals.

In this so called super committee last year.

That provided revenue via tax reform.

-- the American people recognize that are our economy didn't move and -- is the only way will be able to balance the federal -- The question we should be asking is not which taxes should our -- to get more revenue but.

Which reforms can we agree on the we'll get our economy moving again.

That there are two paths we can take to get the revenue the president seeks.

A feeding me the growth of government through higher tax rates more -- solve the problem.

A -- -- -- growth of our economy grow better and cleaner tax do it will.

Now president has signaled a willingness to do tax reform -- lower rates.

Republicans.

Have signaled a willingness to accept new revenue if it comes from -- from reform.

So let's start the discussion that.

I'm not suggesting -- compromise on our principles.

But I am suggesting that we commit ourselves to creating an atmosphere.

Where we can seek common ground.

Word exists in season.

And we can't find common ground means we'll continue to operate.

On a tax do it on a year by year basis and means we'll continue to extend major programs for a month at a time.

It means will continuously -- expiration.

Of the government's bar permanent authority.

-- will be our constant downgrade watch from our creditor.

In -- new testament to another superb hopeful of two men.

One rebuild -- house on sand.

And the other who built his house on rock.

The foundation of our country's economy the rock.

Of our economy has always been small businesses in the private sector.

I ram although small businesses and I can tell you that raising a small business taxes means they don't grow.

A small businesses don't grow our economy doesn't grow.

And of our economy.

Doesn't grow we don't have a prayer of -- in our country out of a hole -- -- -- our national debt.

This -- -- went over part of -- fiscal cliff and raising taxes on job creators is really no solution at all.

Instead -- in our house on sand.

Let's -- Little Rock.

-- -- -- small business taxes let's start by fixing their problems let's start by giving them some confidence and certainty about what the future holds.

-- this to work we need to plan for a serious process.

Focused on substance not on theatrics.

It will require weeks of work rather than a weekend the photo -- It won't happen around a campfire Camp David -- secret room of some air force base.

Worth much as I'd like over eighteen holes golf.

And this -- gonna take time but if we're all striving for -- solution.

I'm confident that we can get their.

This president this is your moment.

We're ready to be left.

Not as Democrats or Republicans.

But as Americans.

We -- -- league -- a liberal or conservative.

But -- president of the United States of America.

We want you to succeed.

Let's challenge ourselves to find the common ground and -- -- -- Let's rise above the dysfunction.

And do the right thing together for our country.

Thank you.

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