You're watching...

Is going over the 'fiscal cliff' inevitable?

Details

  • Description

    Republican lawmakers react to finger-pointing in Senate

  • Duration 10:37
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

Powerful Politics

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

Also tonight the amount of time left before America goes over the fiscal cliff can now be measured in mere hours house lawmakers have been called back to Washington.

And will return this Sunday night and Fox News has also learned the President Obama will meet.

With congressional leaders tomorrow but even though President Obama cut his wind vacation short flew back to Washington today.

He didn't seem too worried while playing his 10800.

Ninth -- 110.

Round of golf since the start of his presidency and of course hitting the gym over the Christmas holidays.

Now I've said from the very beginning of the president he wants to convince you that he will do everything in his power to stop us from going over this cliff unfortunately.

That has never been the case of the president and his democratic allies.

-- -- hoping that we do go over the fiscal cliff and I make the contention this has been their plan from day one now why.

Now this would give the Democrats everything they want.

Democrats would get to raise taxes on you every American they'll get massive defense cuts than they've always dreamed of and then to top it all off they'd also get the place the blame squarely on the shoulder as a Republican lawmakers.

But as I've said before this president is playing a very dangerous game of chicken with the American economy.

And yesterday Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner detailed just how serious this situation and it's.

Now in an open letter to congressional lawmakers secretary Geithner explain.

What will happen if the US hits the debt ceiling on December the 31.

And is not able to pay its bills now we wrote that the Treasury Department will have to take quote extraordinary measures.

I'm not really sure what secretary Geithner hopes to achieve by sending that letter because senate majority leader Harry Reid has proven again and again he's incapable of acting.

After all they have not passed the budget in the US senate in over 1300.

Days and earlier today while speaking on the senate floor.

Instead of offering solutions senator -- just started pointing fingers again and again watch that's.

If we go over the cliff and looks like that's where we're headed -- present.

House of Representatives as we speak.

With four days left after today before the first year aren't here with the speaker having column they'll have he'll give -- forty hours notice.

I can't imagine their consciences.

-- out.

Wherever they are.

Around the country and we're here trying to get something done John Boehner seemed to care more about keeping his speakership -- about keeping the nation on firm financial -- It's obvious mr.

-- what's going on around here.

He's waiting -- January 3 to get reelected as speaker.

Before -- series of negotiation because he has so many people over there.

It won't follow what he wants senator -- that -- on -- first speaker Boehner as a quote dictator.

Watch this.

American people I don't think understand.

The house -- -- -- that is operating without the House of Representatives.

It's being operated with thing dictatorship.

Of the speaker.

Thousand tire fiasco could have easily been avoided -- senate Democrats would simply pass an extension of the bush tax cuts after all the house sent them that bill months ago.

-- senator Reid and -- democratic allies they have been in control the senate for years so why haven't they passed the budget now they're clearly not serious about our nation's debt and our deficits.

We now have sixteen trillion dollars in debt were running out of money yet again.

Trillion dollar deficits every year for the last four years and get this we're also borrowing at this moment 46 cents of every dollar that they spend -- Washington.

On top of that Social Security's going bankrupt as is Medicare and all Obama's fighting for is increasing taxes that will only pay for eight and a half days of government spend it.

Now president Obama's not been a leader on this he's not been serious he's been acting weak and of course clinging to his rigid radical ideology.

But enough is enough maybe it's now time for Republicans to call the president's bluff let him take the country over the fiscal cliff if he so chooses Republicans that.

They were elected to go to Washington to get this country's fiscal house in order.

And maybe now's the time for Republicans to stand up be your kids be your grandchildren.

Maybe they should dig in their heels and say they're looking out for the future and future generations.

Maybe now's the time to take a principled stand.

And say the -- -- Washington continue with this out of control spending this debt this deficits maybe now at this moment maybe that's the right thing to do.

And joining me now with reaction to this developing story are -- house Republicans congress illegal homered and congressman Tim hills camp gentlemen welcome back to Hannity.

Always good to be with you.

Littlejohn I just totally missed homer hit it.

But I can totally sympathize with.

Reid's remark that he.

Cannot imagine our consciences in the house because.

You'd have to have -- to imagine hours and he's shown repeatedly.

-- over three years of no budget.

-- I think I have just I have no conscience or he would've been embarrassed.

And it would given up leadership on his own if he'd had any conscience whatsoever.

We have passed a bill to deal with fiscal cliff.

It's a congressman -- get what let me go through this ever pass the bill and thirteen hundred days in the United States senate.

By the way -- constitutionally.

Something by law they are required to do they haven't done it.

The president eighteen hours on the golf course twenty hours in the air plenty of time working out now we races back to Washington.

Yet you don't like the Lone Ranger on his ports over to -- it in to save the day is it.

This is -- serious that this is not -- a president that serious about spending isn't.

This is not about leadership.

1337.

Days Harry Reid hasn't passed the budget they've been in control the whole time this.

Fiscal cliff was.

Predictable we knew this was going to happen two years ago.

And and don't forget these are the bush Obama tax cuts all the president need to do is actually propose -- spending -- I think with -- admission that the debt ceiling.

Will be burst through on December 31 clearly shows this is a spending problem it's not a taxing problem real leaders.

Which is not coming out of the presidency or -- Harry -- would say hey it's time because spending.

Not for now but for future generations who are the ones that have to pay this off.

It seems to me congressman Omer and this is -- the bush tax cuts have been lost and what 2001 and 2003.

Seems that if the president doesn't want.

To go over the fiscal cliff you guys pass the bill Harry Reid could do -- but he hasn't done in three years -- with three years they can pass in the senate.

Give it to the president and then nobody's taxes are gonna go up.

Crisis averted and then they can spend time after the new year negotiating.

Tax reform entitlement reform spending living within our means why don't -- just of that.

Welding competitive it -- I want to demonize the house they want to pontificating without actually doing -- Things in the way of legislating.

And Sean if you look back at the history.

The deficit ceiling bill back a year and a half ago at the super committee and I -- you and -- new one go to work.

But it -- -- -- Republican senators.

Made a proposal.

To raise taxes.

And -- senate Democrats were reported to have said.

Wow this is a breakthrough wouldn't get a deal now will be able work this out.

They go to auction pres Obama and Harry Reid come back saying.

Sorry we're not allowed to work a deal they didn't want to deal then they don't want to deal now it worked out well for them.

Not to allow -- -- last -- they -- us all last year.

The mainstream media helped him and it -- you got reelected so that figure.

Why not go over the cliff why Republicans.

Not let -- senate pass anything that we would get away with the again.

I -- here's here's and then the quandary the moral the lumber dilemma -- congressman hill's camp for the Republicans.

That was very interesting when speaker Boehner brought up is plan B.

Conservatives in the house -- up and said no we're not gonna go along with us we made a promise not to raise taxes.

And we want to deal with the spending issues which by the way in principle I think is the right thing.

So now that this is gonna come back I assume at some point.

Will the Republicans hold the line.

On the principles that they ran on or do you expect that that maybe many of them -- -- because to me I think the American people would like principled leadership does that exist.

Well I think it does I mean how has acted we act on August 1 and last week we rejected a proposal from our leadership that.

-- Gone -- the president wants to go on raise taxes on certain certain folks but we have acted the senate has not acted.

They have an active for 1337.

Days on a budget they haven't acted on months on this issue.

We knew they end of the year was coming we -- taxes would go up but they did nothing in here we see Harry -- Demanding.

The house do something when he wanting Collison into action -- working bills.

Other -- the fiscal cliff bills I mean mr.

Reid go to work you've had years to lead this this senate.

Go to work on that I think we -- -- leadership and President Obama if we stick to our core principles.

But oftentimes I'm worried both sides are going that -- -- day.

Cable on principles in the real issue here is spending it's a spending problem which is demonstrated by this debt ceiling issue that that just came up.

It's all right so where we go from.

Air congressman go Ballmer it's now been put squarely in the in the senate in their hands and we heard from Harry Reid today -- -- any intention of moving forward.

I understand that the president at this last hours reaching out finally to some Republicans in the senate.

But they don't have the right to originate constitutionally.

Spending bills from there where we go from here.

Well it either of these -- it will do their constitutional duty of taking a bill.

That originated in the house and dealing with this issue.

And pass their version of it then it would go to a conference committee where compromise gets worked out.

Harry Reid is becoming the ultimate cliff -- here.

By saying where are getting even away at our house there's senate house.

Function we're gonna dive off the cliff and blame the Republicans that.

Every -- down the way.

-- -- -- and that the -- we're gonna continue to monitor this we appreciate being with us and happy new -- both -- -- -- -- -- --