Politics

Boehner: Obama’s ‘tax hike’ fiscal cliff plan ‘cannot pass the House or Senate’ [VIDEO]

Nicholas Ballasy Senior Video Reporter
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House Speaker John Boehner said President Barack Obama’s newest proposal, which includes $1.4 trillion in tax increases, “cannot pass the House or Senate.”

Boehner stressed that an agreement on the fiscal cliff must address Washington’s “spending problem” but “serious differences” between the GOP and the White House remain.

“The president and I had a deliberate call yesterday, and we spoke honestly and openly about the differences that we face but the president’s calling for $1.4 trillion worth of revenue, that cannot pass the House or the Senate,” Boehner told reporters on Wednesday.

“I was born with the glass half full, I remain the most optimistic person in this town, but we’ve got some serious differences.” (RELATED: Harry Reid plays dumb when asked about Obama’s fiscal cliff plan)

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor urged the president to “stop playing games” with the fiscal cliff.

Cantor said House Republicans are prepared to stay in town until Christmas Eve and the period before the New Year.

Obama’s plan is “mainly tax hikes” and “increases spending” which is why there has been no deal, Boehner said.

He added that the “longer” the White House “slow-walks this discussion,” the closer our economy gets to the fiscal cliff.

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