When the House Republican leaders arrive at the White House to meet with President Obama for lunch Wednesday, Majority Leader Eric Cantor plans to tell the president that he may still not understand how business works in America.
Cantor told reporters Tuesday that if given the opportunity, he will explain to the president that businesses do not have a “responsibility” to the nation or to the government in the way Obama explained in his speech to the Chamber of Commerce earlier this week.
“If we’re going to correct the ailing economy, and put us back on the path to growth, we’re going to have to create an environment that businesses will want to come here. Will want to deploy capital here. Will want to invest in research and innovation here. That’s how we lead in America,” Cantor said. “It’s not because Washington says, ‘Go do that,’ and businesses then go and do that. That’s not who we are. So again, I’ll have hopefully this discussion with the president tomorrow.”
Obama on Monday told business leaders they have a “responsibility to America” to create jobs, especially if the government stops putting barriers in front of businesses seeking to grow.
“As we work with you to make America a better place to do business, I’m hoping that all of you are thinking what you can do for America,” Obama told the business leaders. “Ask yourselves what you can do to hire more American workers, what you can do to support the American economy and invest in this nation.”
“That’s not how it works,” Cantor said. “Because Washington says so — that business or anyone should respond as far as spending money — it’s just anathema to the way I think America works…Washington doesn’t just wave a magic wand and necessarily, business creates jobs.”
Cantor will join House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy at the meeting. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said the president is planning to have “a heavy discussion on the economy and on spending.”
