House Speaker John Boehner slammed President Obama’s budget plan on Monday, criticizing the plan’s projected deficit and saying it asks too much of seniors.
“The president’s budget is a gloomy reflection of his failed policies of the past, not a bold plan for America’s future,” the Ohio Republican said in a statement. “It is bad for job creation, our economy, and America’s seniors. Our nation needs Washington to demonstrate some courage with a budget that honestly addresses the near- and long-term challenges we face. Instead, the president offered a collection of rehashes, gimmicks, and tax increases that will make our economy worse.”
The House Speaker alleged that Mr. Obama’s budget would eliminate jobs in the U.S., noting that a proposed tax on individuals making more than $250,000 would not find support from House Republicans.
“At a time when millions of Americans are out of work, the president has proposed a $1.5 trillion tax increase – beginning next year,” said Mr. Boehner. “The plan makes no effort to pull back on the policies, such as the president’s health care law, that are making it harder for small businesses to grow their companies and hire more workers. The president continues to rely on a failed ‘stimulus’ approach, and he ignores the threat that massive deficits pose to long-term economic growth.”
The statement is the latest indication that Mr. Obama will face another tough battle from House Republicans. The president’s budget proposes $3.8 trillion in total spending, $850 billion for funding community colleges, and puts forth a plan that would eliminate Medicare spending by $30 billion.
It remains unclear whether the plan will find support from either side of the aisle. The proposal is seen as little more than a political piecemeal that ultimately has little chance of passage.
