GOP Leader: 'Republicans have offered better solutions on the stimulus, better solutions on the budget, better solutions on energy, and I think we’ve got a much better solution on health care'

Contact: Michael Steel, Antonia Ferrier, Kevin Smith, 202-225-4000; Office of the House Republican Leader
 
WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 /Standard Newswire/ -- At a weekly press conference following a House GOP Conference meeting, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today discussed the economic forum House Democrats are holding with the same economists who pushed for the trillion-dollar 'stimulus' that isn't working.  Boehner also highlighted the House GOP's better solutions on creating jobs, energy, health care, and the budget.  Following are Boehner's remarks:

"American small businesses and families continue to struggle and they continue to ask the question, 'where are the jobs?'  As you've heard, Speaker Pelosi is convening a panel of economists -- the same economists who gave them advice on their stimulus bill.  Maybe they'll actually look at what's happened and realize that it hasn't worked because American families are still asking, 'where are the jobs?

"This problem that we have is being exacerbated by the Democrat Majority.  Put yourself in the shoes of a small business person.  They're looking at a national energy tax being proposed by the Democrats.  They're looking at this government takeover of health care that's going to tax small employers who don't provide health care for their employees -- that many of them can't afford to.  And, there's no real clear vision about they are going to do in terms of raising taxes.  Yes, there's this major tax increase in their health care bill.  But how about the 15 percent capital gains rate that is supposed to go to 20 next year?  How about the top rate that is expected to go up three and a half points next year?  How about the tax on dividends that's going up next year?  So, what's happening is, you've got small business people in America who are already struggling and here they look at what Washington's doing and it's causing them to sit on their hands.  Why? Because of all the uncertainty about the policies coming out of Washington D.C. 

"At the end of the day, until we get small businesses working again, we're not going to get the economy working again.  That's why we ought to be promoting policies that would help small businesses invest new equipment [and create] more jobs in their communities.  But I'm telling you, it will not happen until there is more certainty about a better direction here in Washington.  Republicans have offered better solutions on the stimulus, better solutions on the budget, better solutions on energy, and I think we've got a much better solution on health care to make the current system work better for more Americans.  This is the kind of reasonable direction that Americans want us to go in and they want to see us do this in a bipartisan way."