Speaker of the House John Boehner offered an alternative to Obama’s job plan Thursday, calling for growth policies and urging the newly-formed budget super committee to avoid any new tax hikes at the Economic Club of Washington, D.C. Thursday afternoon.
“Last week, the president put forth a new set of proposals,” Boehner said. “The House will consider them, as the American people expect. Some of the president’s proposals offer opportunities for common ground.”
“But let’s be honest with ourselves,” the Speaker continued. “The president’s proposals are a poor substitute for the pro-growth policies that are needed to remove barriers to job creation in America.”
Boehner said job-creators in America have been “pummeled” by economic uncertainty. He decried the current tax code, onerous regulations and over-spending by Washington lawmakers — what he called a “triple threat from government” to job-creators.
Boehner said Congress must pass several bills that have already passed the House but have been languishing in the Senate since.
The Speaker also called on the so-called “super committee” — formed two months ago to draft a long-term solution to the debt crisis — to reform the U.S. tax code.
“It’s probably not realistic to think the Joint Committee could rewrite the tax code by November 23,” Boehner said. “But it can certainly lay the groundwork by then for tax reform in the future that will enhance the environment for economic growth.”
The committee can develop principles for broad-based tax reform that will lower rates for individuals and corporations while closing deductions, credits and special carve-outs in our tax code,” Boehner continued.
However, Boehner was clear the GOP would not tolerate any tax hikes as part of a compromise.
“When it comes to producing savings to reach its $1.5 trillion deficit reduction target, the Joint Select Committee has only one option: spending cuts and entitlement reform,” Boehner said.
Watch: