Tonight, Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner (R-Ohio) called for a decisive end to the stifling uncertainty and unsustainable spending spree that has handicapped the country. The Speaker stepped up to lead, doing what President Obama and Congressional Democrats have been unwilling to do: learn from the failures of the past. Speaker Boehner rightfully called for an end to the policies that have hampered economic growth, recognizing that the path forward to fiscal responsibility relies on rejecting the follies of the past.

• The government has an overspending problem, not an undertaxing problem:
  Speaker Boehner: “And with the exception of tax hikes -- which will destroy jobs -- everything is on the table.”
• Budget “deals” that consider revenue part of the problem always result in tax hikes while spending restraint is forgotten:
  Speaker Boehner: “Today some seem intent on recycling the 1990 budget deal, only this time with much larger tax increases. That's not going to happen, and I've told that to the president.  A tax hike would wreak havoc not only on our economy's ability to create private-sector jobs, but also on our ability to tackle the national debt.” 

• Government “stimulus” by spending is a fallacy that has been proven false by every Democrat administration that has attempted it:
  Speaker Boehner: “The lesson of the stimulus era is that short-term government intervention is no substitute for long-term economic investment, private initiative, and freedom. I believe it's time to leave that era behind.”

• A deficit “trigger” equates to an automatic and unconstitutional tax hike that ignores the real problem – overspending – and fails to increase budgetary restraint.
  Speaker Boehner: “[Spending cuts] should be actual cuts and program reforms, not broad deficit or debt targets that punt the tough questions to the future.”

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Posted by Mattie Duppler on Monday, May 9, 2011 7:21 PM EDT

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