Boehner: No New Taxes to Avert Sequester - East Idaho News
Politics

Boehner: No New Taxes to Avert Sequester

  Published at

162911824?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1362160450399JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — Following a roughly hour-long meeting with the president, vice president and congressional leaders, House Speaker John Boehner said higher taxes will not be part of any deal to avert the looming across-the-board spending cuts.

“This discussion about revenue, in my view, is over,” he told reporters at the White House. “It’s about taking on the spending problem here in Washington.”

The speaker gave no indication of a breakthrough to avert $85 billion in budget cuts set to kick-in before the end of the day.

“The American people know that Washington has a spending problem. And while there are smarter ways to cut spending than the process that we’re about to engage on, the House shouldn’t have to pass a third bill before the Senate does anything,” he said.

Boehner said the House will move forward next week on legislation to fund the government past March 27. He said that he’s “hopeful that we won’t have to deal with the threat of a government shutdown while we’re dealing with the sequester at the same time.”

“The House will act next week, and I hope the Senate will follow suit,” he said.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

SUBMIT A CORRECTION