In a joint statement, and in the midst of major turbulence in bipartisan debt negotiations, the top two Republicans in the Senate say President Obama needs to speak publicly about his insistence that new tax revenue and job promotion measures be included in any deal to increase the debt limit.
“The White House and Democrats are insisting on job-killing tax hikes and new spending,” says a joint statement by Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ). “That proposal won’t address our fiscal crisis, our jobs crisis, or protect and reform entitlements. And a bill with new spending and higher taxes would fail with bipartisan opposition - as it should. President Obama needs to decide between his goal of higher taxes, or a bipartisan plan to address our deficit. He can’t have both. But we need to hear from him.”
Kyl is the Republicans’ Senate negotiator in the discussion group led by Vice President Joe Biden. His House counterpart, Majority Leader Eric Cantor, walked away from the discussions early Thursday, citing an impasse over Democrats’ insistence that tax increases (of some kind) be included in a grand bargain to increase the nation’s borrowing limit, and cut federal spending.
Brian Beutler
Brian Beutler is TPM's senior congressional reporter. Since 2009, he's led coverage of health care reform, Wall Street reform, taxes, the GOP budget, the government shutdown fight, and the debt limit fight. He can be reached at brian@talkingpointsmemo.com.
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