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Chambliss: 'Republicans have been willing to negotiate'

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    Georgia senator on pending fiscal cliff

  • Duration 11:28
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And I 34 days -- all the remain until the United States plunges off these so called fiscal cliff and as the January 1 deadline looms large over Washington.

Republican heavyweights from house speaker John Boehner to majority leader Eric Cantor.

An ounce yet again today that they're willing to make major concessions to the Democrats in order to avert disaster take a look.

Republicans are committed.

To continuing to work for the president.

To come to an agreement to avert.

The so called fiscal -- It's one reason why we believe that we put.

Revenue on the table.

As long as it's accompanied by serious spending cuts we have done airports we have put revenues on the table something that we.

-- didn't do two years ago during the debt ceiling negotiations.

-- we'll get into what exactly quote unquote revenue really means whether or not and includes tax hikes when Georgia senator Saxby Chambliss joins me just a moment but first.

Agree with them -- not as you just heard from the Republican leadership they are offering up real solutions on how to avoid falling off the so called fiscal -- now the president however.

Well he still thinks is out there on the campaign trail in fact.

He's even using the exact same class warfare.

That we all grow accustomed to during the election and instead of offering up a single suggestion on how to cut spending or agree to any sort of meaningful entitlement reform.

Well he's trying to frighten you the American people into thinking that there's no alternative other than raising taxes watch.

The place where we already have in theory at least complete agreement.

Right now.

Is on middle class taxes.

And as I've said before we've got two choices.

If congress does nothing.

Every family in America will see their taxes automatically go up -- at the beginning.

Of next year.

-- is a problem Mr.

President if you don't leave you continue to do nothing America's -- will continue to rise and we could easily hit twenty trillion dollars in the coming years.

And I doubt very much that you need to be reminded that.

Six trillion dollars of that that was tacked on under your watch.

Which is why your hypocrisy on the issue is downright laughable after all here's what you know President Obama what you said about your predecessor.

The -- -- is is bad the way bush has done it over the last eight years.

Is to take -- -- credit card from the bank of China in the name of our children.

Driving up our national debt.

From five trillion dollars for the first 42 president's number 43 added four trillion dollars by it -- -- So that we now have over nine trillion dollars of debt.

There that we are gonna have to pay back.

30000 dollars for every man woman and child.

-- -- irresponsible.

It unpatriotic.

Four trillion his lonesome we -- given a six trillion dollars by the way that fortunately wasn't eight years not four.

Unpatriotic.

Well I was what -- the that was only nine trillion dollars nowadays were looking at sixteen point three trillion.

And thanks to the tax and spend agenda of President Obama this seems to be no end in sight and -- he's serious about tackling the bad.

Will -- be talking about reining in spending but that's not what he's doing because he's hell bent on one thing.

Raising your taxes and by the way don't dare think for one minute or believe the hype that this is only gonna affect the so called rich.

Now this White House is willing to put any and all tax breaks on the table.

Including letting the payroll tax cut expire now that -- would affect all Americans watch this.

There are many tax provisions that are expiring at the end of the year.

And the president has said that the payroll tax cut among others should be on on the table.

Really get a permanent extension of the middle class tax cuts whereas the payroll tax cuts were explicitly temporary and economic effects of those are different.

Part of the payroll tax cut is on the chopping block nothing is safe and all Americans regardless of how much money they make you're going to be affected.

-- joining me to give us the Republicans view on some of the things as somebody.

Was made headlines recently when he appeared to distance himself from a long stand standing pledge to oppose efforts to raise taxes that's Republican senator.

Saxby Chambliss senator what about the -- thanks for being with -- always -- -- John thank you are right so Grover Norquist.

Americans for Tax Reform.

-- signed -- pledge when you first running for office saying that you would not raise rates or revenue.

And then you went on an interview and you said well I care more about this country than I do about a twenty year old pledge.

You've taken a lot of heat for this I'd wanna give -- chance to explain.

Now here's my difference which with Grover shown -- pretty simple.

The Simpson Bowles plan that came out that says if we're gonna dress a long term debt of this country.

Recommended that you eliminate all tax credits and tax exclusions in a major tax reform package.

The gang of six that I was a part of still -- -- part follow that recommendation.

We thank you ought to eliminate all of that that will generate about one point two trillion dollars in revenues.

Not new taxes revenue.

Then you decide where the again I had the mortgage interest deduction charitable deduction -- things back -- there -- so the question is.

What do you do with that revenue -- been generated -- 016 trillion dollars.

I think that you got to pay part of that revenue towards that dead just like every single American that owns a home.

Based part of their monthly revenue towards their mortgage debt.

It's exactly the same thing the problem they know that I have is that he says if you do that that's a tax increase.

Because the rest of it's gonna go to too -- tax rates and that's not a 100%.

Going to lower tax rate I think if you talk about one point one of one point two trillion dollars in new revenue.

And I don't wanna get in a parsing words here but.

That's raising taxes people gonna pay now I want people -- know or isn't what you did not gonna pay more now I mean then -- show what we do is -- lower right.

It's you lower rates commensurate with the amount of revenue that you take -- with the exception of taken some of that money.

And applying it to your dad both Simpson reduce that number of brackets from six to three.

We have eight to thirteen fourteen to -- to imported -- -- has the lowest and highest brackets.

Everybody is going to be -- -- have a lower rate the highest rate today's 35% the lowest rates him the fifty -- This doesn't recommend this math doesn't add up in all honesty here if -- if it looked.

I understand where the government -- I'm very concerned this is the first generation.

More Americans are saddling their kids with unsustainable that and we've got to get off the track I just as a conservative.

I believe an economic growth ice I think government spends too much money.

But if you're saying the government's gonna take it one point one trillion more dollars through tax reform.

Eliminating deductions but not increasing the tax rates for lowering them.

You still getting more money and it's not through -- so that means people are paying more right.

No no the money's not coming to the government the money is coming to him to be used to lower those rights as well as to pay down the debt shown.

And -- -- black -- about.

You're exactly right about economic growth and you just look at what's happened in the last year.

We -- just evade -- slight uptick in economic growth and we've seen about a 350 billion dollar revenue increase.

The problem is this administration -- and that money.

Well set -- it -- that can you imagine what kind of economic growth we would see if we had drill.

Meaning.

-- corporate tax reform be sick this is where it my turn to the president nice of the first of all he didn't leave with the grand bargain the last time and Bob Woodward.

Brought a pretty detailed book about though the whole experience.

More important thing here is.

That the Republicans are saying all right we won't go for increases in revenue and I don't want -- -- terms is not a tax increase technically.

But it did take it in more revenue and it's not from growth.

People are paying more they're paying more money to the government.

But the -- the president and the Democrats.

They will not Dick Durbin Harry Reid Nancy Pelosi they're saying no no entitlement reform.

If we don't deal -- entitlement reform any deal we get here is going to be a bad deal is that where is he -- it that way.

Well there there are two things that the president is talking about that are non starters.

John it's just I just don't see any way forward.

One is increasing tax rates home certain individual taxpayers that's not gonna fly.

I'm never supported tax increase and rate wise I'm not going to secondly.

We're not even gonna discuss revenues until they're willing to put entitlement reform all the -- -- entitlement reform is tough for Republicans because it's.

You know valuable program -- talking about but -- sacrosanct with the Democrats.

And you know you just can't have a 100% of everything you won't.

If speaker -- and -- and a candidate said there wouldn't put revenues on the table -- it's incumbent upon the pros have come forward say okay.

We're gonna put entitlements on the table and a big way he's not -- we're gonna get this done and he's not doing bad and I was disappointed to hear some of my colleagues in the senate say yesterday.

That well you know you give us the the revenues and then we'll talk about -- -- reform wider angle happened -- -- got going there.

So it -- some Democrats and said look the Republicans will get the blame.

If the fiscal cliff hits January 1 and -- -- everybody you'll lose the bush tax cuts so that'll be a tax increase.

Then they'll blame the Republicans they want to use it to their advantage politically and they get the defense cuts through sequestration.

That they so desire.

But isn't the real danger the impact it has on the economy and -- he throws us back and or recession by taking all this money out of the economy.

Well I think everybody remembers farewell.

Ugly process we went through and August of 2011.

And raising the debt ceiling and what happened immediately around the raising a minute that deficit and we saw the stock markets crash -- -- yeah.

If we go off -- -- cliff -- not put the blame squarely on the president he's been a wall on this issue for the last three years.

Now he's come -- and and waving a flag and -- to take the glory.

And put the burden on Republicans Republicans have been willing to negotiate.

And if he doesn't come forward and provide real leadership and we go off the playoff that economic disaster that we're gonna see is going to be squarely on the shoulders of a -- I would like to adopt something like the Mac -- -- -- one penny out of every dollar Washington spends and we moved to a balanced budget.

But -- baseline budgeting you you have these built in increases every year can you ever get rid of baseline budgeting.

For you know if any corporation in America operated the way the federal government -- -- -- and I'd be broke ninety.

That's.

If that -- it's broken but then they don't have the ability of print more money senator could -- thanks for being Willis always a pleasure John thank you.

Coming up -- every --

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