Pence Discusses the Economy On The Record with Greta Van Susteren

Pence Discusses the Economy On The Record with Greta Van Susteren

SEPTEMBER 9, 2010

Washington, DC - U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, discussed the President’s speech on more of the same failed economic policies during FOX NEWS’ On The Record with Greta Van Susteren:

Excerpts:


 On the President’s Cleveland Speech

 Rep. Pence: I think the president is flat wrong. I don't think this is a choice between the failed policies of the past and the failed policies of the present. What Republicans are talking about is not tax cuts and more spending, but let's cut spending and let's cut taxes. And what was really remarkable about the speech this morning, or this afternoon rather, was how partisan it was.

On the President’s “New Economic Strategy”

Rep. Pence: “I was in Cleveland last Thursday. I've been traveling an awful lot around Ohio and Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Greta, people are hurting.

 

“This was billed as an outline of the president's new strategy to get this economy moving again. You are about 15 minutes into this speech where it seemed like the president was stuck back in 2008, fighting the last campaign, talking about the Bush Administration.

 

“What John Boehner did this morning on national television was extend a hand to this administration and say, ‘If you will join us in reducing spending back just to 2008 levels, House Republicans will agree to a two year extension on all the current tax relief. We'll get that done, we'll create some certainty in the economy.’

 

“But the extended hand by John Boehner was met with the backhand by the President of the United States. I have to think that was a disappointment to millions of Americans that were hoping to see some effort this fall to see the parties come together, get past all the partisan strife and do something that will encourage capital formation and create jobs.”

On GOP Ideas

Rep. Pence: “In the last year and a half, House Republicans had a stimulus bill that would have cost half as much and created twice as many jobs. We had a budget that reduced the deficit over the next 10 years by $3 trillion. We had a health care proposal. We had an energy bill.

 

“The president, when he came to our retreat - remember that in Baltimore - we handed the president a booklet that included all of the Republican solutions including to get this economy moving again. He finally held it up and admitted there that the Republicans do have solutions. When you see the president back on the stump in Cleveland today saying, ‘They have no ideas, no proposals,’ it's the same tired policies of the past.

 

“The American people know what we need do. We've got to get federal spending under control. We've got to start cutting spending now. At the minimum, we've got to make sure that no American sees a tax increase on January 1, 2011.”

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For additional information, contact:

The House Republican Conference Press Office at (202) 226-9000 or
Matt Lloyd (matt.lloyd@mail.house.gov)
Mary Vought (mary.vought@mail.house.gov)