Boehner to Present GOP’s Alternative Strategy for Job Creation

(WASHINGTON) — As President Obama continues to drum up support for his $447 billion jobs plan, House Speaker John Boehner will deliver an alternative path for job creation in an address to the Economic Club of Washington Thursday, focusing chiefly on tax reform by broadening the base of the tax structure without raising taxes and continuing the GOP’s quest to cut red tape from Washington’s bureaucracy.

Boehner, Cantor Urge Obama to Convene Meeting before Jobs Address

(WASHINGTON) — House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor urged President Obama to find common ground with Republicans, asking that he convene a meeting with the top Congressional leadership before his address to a joint session of Congress Thursday “so that we may have the opportunity to constructively discuss your proposals.” “While we each sincerely believe that our own policy prescriptions for economic recovery are what is best for the country, neither of us is likely to convince the other in a manner that results in the full implementation of those policies,” the duo wrote in a letter to the president Tuesday. “While it is important that we continue to debate and discuss our different approaches to job creation, it is also critical that our differences not preclude us from taking action in areas where there is common agreement. We should not approach this as an all or nothing situation.”

House GOP Meeting Friday: Can They Pass a Debt Bill?

(WASHINGTON) — House Speaker John Boehner will convene a closed meeting of all 240 House Republicans Friday morning where he will explain the tweaks made to the debt ceiling legislation Thursday night and make his final appeal to Republicans to get in line.

House Republican sources told ABC News Friday morning that they believe they have the votes to pass Boehner’s debt ceiling bill.

Of course, they thought that on Thursday afternoon too before the proposed vote was eventually scuttled for the day, suggesting that Republicans did not have the votes to pass their plan.

The plan, assuming the morning meeting goes well, is expected to be voted on later in the day.

Boehner on Afghanistan: Big Pullout Could Jeopardize Success

(WASHINGTON) — As President Obama prepares to speak to the nation Wednesday in a primetime address on Afghanistan, House Speaker John Boehner says that while he is “concerned about any precipitous withdrawal of our troops that would jeopardize the success that we’ve made,” he would support the president’s judgment as long as he follows recommendations from commanders and diplomats in the region.

Asked whether he sensed that House Republicans were growing wary of the mission in Afghanistan, the speaker said that the sentiment of lawmakers “on both sides of the aisle reflect the opinions and attitudes of their constituents.”

“The American people are a bit wary about Afghanistan, and you can’t blame them,” Boehner, R-Ohio, said. “You have 100,000 of our young men and women fighting in this desert over there, but remember why we’re there. We’re there because the Taliban had taken over Afghanistan, they had provided safe haven to al-Qaeda, and as a result, al-Qaeda had safe ground in which to plan, train, and execute attacks on Americans and our allies around the world.”

“The goal here is to make sure that they don’t have that safe haven, and so we’ve got some work to do, but clearly the success that General Petraeus outlined is in fact a success. We’re getting there, but we’ve got an awful lot invested here, and I’m concerned about any precipitous withdrawal of our troops that would jeopardize the success that we’ve made,” he added. “If the president listens to the commanders on the ground, and our diplomats in the region, makes a decision, I’ll be there to support him. Success in Afghanistan is critically important.”

Boehner added that he has not been briefed by the White House on the president’s plans to reduce troop levels.

Will Obama, Boehner Golf Summit Ease Bipartisan Tension?

“It’s fair to say that the president enjoys golf and plays it when he can, but I don’t think that he would say that he is an expert golfer. And I hear that the speaker of the House is quite good,” Carney said, noting that the president’s handicap is “classified.”

Golf Digest’s annual rankings of prominent Washington players has Boehner ranked 43. Obama comes in at 108.

Schumer to ABC News: Boehner 'Will Look Awful' If Gov't Shuts Down

(WASHINGTON) — With a government shutdown looming, the blame game is in full swing. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., tells ABC News that while a shutdown would be “bad for everybody,” the public will judge House Speaker John Boehner as the main reason why it’s happening.

“I think they’re understanding that Speaker Boehner’s unwillingness to deviate from these ideological riders because the Tea Party has him sort of as almost a hostage — they’ll understand that,” Schumer said.

Of Boehner’s statement this week to ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that “there’s no daylight between the Tea Party and me,” Schumer said, “I wouldn’t have said that if I were him.  Tea Party is not so popular in the U.S.”

Whether or not there’s a shutdown, he said, “really depends on one man:  John Boehner. He’s caught between a rock and a hard place. The rock are the Tea Party hard-line Congress members. … But the other direction is he’s the head of the Republican Party. And he knows if a shutdown occurs – and if it occurs because of these non-ideological riders like women’s health — he will look awful.”…

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Shutdown Showdown: Speaker Boehner Calls on Senate to Pass Short-Term Extension

From @ABCPolitics:

ABC News’ John R. Parkinson and Jonathan Karl report: 

As the clock runs out, House Speaker John Boehner made a brief statement to the press this morning, providing an update on where negotiations stand with Senate Democrats and the White House on a deal to avoid a government shutdown. 

“There’s only one reason that we do not have an agreement as yet, and that issue is spending,” Boehner, R-Ohio, said. “We’re close to a resolution on the policy issues, but I think the American people deserve to know, when will the White House, and when will Senate Democrats get serious about cutting spending?”

Boehner said “a bill that fails to include real spending cuts will hurt job growth and signal that Washington’s not serious about dealing with its spending addiction.” 

The speaker also called on Senate Democrats to pass the House’s short-term one-week continuing resolution that would cut $12 billion while funding the Pentagon through the end of the year. 

“I think the Senate should follow the House lead and pass the troop funding bill and do it today,” Boehner said. “I also believe the president should sign the troop funding bill into law. This is the responsible thing to do to support our troops and to keep our federal government open.” 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has rejected the short-term extension, calling it a “non-starter” in the Senate while President Obama has threatened to veto the legislation. 

Boehner’s statement lasted only 56 seconds. He took no questions.

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