GOP Leader Also Says He Will Continue to Use Commercial Aircraft to Fly Back and Forth to His District 

Contact: Michael Steel, Kevin Smith, 202-225-4000  

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 /Standard Newswire/ -- House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Majority Transition Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) held a media availability today to discuss the transition effort and Republicans' commitment to fighting for the priorities addressed in the Pledge to America, a governing agenda focused on creating jobs, cutting spending, and reforming Congress, built by listening to the American people.  Boehner noted that the Pledge calls for permanently stopping all the looming tax hikes, and said that's what Republicans will fight to do.  Responding to a reporter's question about his travel arrangements should he become Speaker of the House, Boehner said he will continue to use commercial aircraft to fly back and forth to his district.  Following are rough excerpts from Boehner's comments:

BOEHNER TALKS TRANSITION, SAYS PLEDGE TO AMERICA "IS OUR PLAN" TO ADDRESS THE PEOPLE’S PRIORITIES:

"I just got an update from Greg Walden, who's chairing our transition effort, on the progress they're making. ... This is really important because we've got to fix the Congress so that the Congress can focus in on Americans' priorities.  The priorities are pretty straightforward: that's the Pledge to America.  That is our plan, because the American people want the uncertainty to go away so that we can begin to create jobs in America.  When you look at our plan to reduce spending, to get the economy going again, and to repeal the health care law that frankly gets in the way of job creation, you can see that we've got an awful lot of work to do."

BOEHNER SAYS REPUBLICANS WILL FIGHT TO PERMANENTLY STOP ALL THE TAX HIKES:

"I think that extending all of the current tax rates, and making them permanent, will reduce the uncertainty in America, and help small businesses to create jobs again.  … That's why making these permanent will be the most important thing we can do to help create jobs in the country."

BOEHNER SAYS HE WILL CONTINUE TO USE COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT TO FLY BACK AND FORTH TO HIS DISTRICT:

"Over the last 20 years, I have flown back and forth to my district on commercial aircraft, and I'm going to continue to do that."

BOEHNER DISCUSSES THE NEED FOR FEDERAL HIRING AND PAY FREEZES:

"I believe strongly -- and if you look at the Pledge to America -- that there ought to be a freeze on the hiring of new federal employees, and frankly, we ought to freeze the pay."