Washington
(Nov 4, 2007)
Appearing this afternoon on
Fox Weekend Live, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) discussed the Congress’ lack of accomplishments, the Majority’s refusal to work with House Republicans in a meaningful way on behalf of the American people, House Republicans’ support for Presidential vetoes of bloated appropriations bills, and GOP efforts to earn back the Majority in Congress. The transcript and video of Boehner’s interview follow:
To watch the interview, click HERE:
BRET BAIER: We all know the President's poll numbers are low. We hear about that almost every day. But Congress’ approval numbers are even lower. Actually they’re at an all-time low. The GOP says because of that it’s poised to regain control. Is that realistic? House Minority Leader John Boehner joins us here live. Congressman, thanks for being here.
REP. JOHN BOEHNER: Bret, it’s good to be with you.
BAIER: You say this is a do-nothing Congress under Democratic leadership. Why?
BOEHNER: If you look over the course of the last 10 months, there have been 102 bills signed into law. Half of those are naming post offices and naming roads. The only two bills of any significance that have been signed into law were the supplemental spending bill to pay for the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, passed with a majority of votes from Republicans. Then, the other bill was the FISA bill, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act updates, uncuffing our intelligence officials at the end of July. Again, a bill passed by a majority of the Republicans in the House and Senate.
BAIER: Well, the House Speaker says 9/11 recommendations to improve homeland security, college aid and raise of minimum wage, she says these are positive developments under her leadership.
BOEHNER: Well, the 9/11 recommendations, we had already enacted 37 of the 40 recommendations and they said they were going to do them all, but they only did two of them. So at the end of the day, not much has been accomplished and it’s because I think Pelosi and the liberals in Congress have overreached. They decided to do it alone. And I think the American people want Congress to find some way to work together to deal with their concerns. It just hasn’t happened. Republicans have stood there all year with our hands out, willing to work with them, willing to find common ground when it’s in the nation’s interest, they haven’t been interested.
BAIER: Now the President says he’s going to veto pretty much every appropriations bill heading his way likely. Really, every one but one which is how Congress does its business. How is that working on Capitol Hill and is it an effective strategy in your mind?
BOEHNER: 150 Republicans signed a letter last summer to the President agreeing to stand with him to sustain his veto of these bloated appropriations bills. Congress is attempting to spend some $23 billion over and above what the President has asked for to fund our government. The President has made clear to House and Senate Democrat leaders that the size of the pie is set. He'd work with them on the slices of the pie, but we're not going to have a bigger pie. And they’re going to challenge him. They know he’s veto the bills, yet they’re going to send them there anyway. The fact is the Congress is running out of time to do its work. These appropriations bills should have been there by the first of October. We’re still fooling around.
BAIER: Top Democrats say this is newfound fiscal responsibility from the Republicans, especially from this President who never vetoed any appropriation bill from the Republican Congress. How do you respond to that?
BOEHNER: When the Republicans ran the Congress, why would we send an appropriation bill to a Republican President so he could veto it? Most of those issues got worked out. But there is something else that is happening Bret and that is Republicans learned our lesson from the last election. A lot of people around the country thought we had lost our way and that we had lost our ability or our desire to stand up for real fiscal responsibility. I think if you look at what Republicans have done in the House all year, we've begun to act like real Republicans, standing up for real fiscal responsibility, getting rid of wasteful earmarks, wasteful Washington spending and I’m glad the President has joined with us.
BAIER: The President vetoed, speaking of that, the water resources bill saying it started out in between $14 and $15 billion and the compromise was $23 billion he vetoed that yet it appears almost certain that this is going to get overrode by the Congress.
BOEHNER: This is a great example of how Washington works. $14 billion House bill, a $15 billion Senate bill, and a conference report going to President at $23 billion. I think the President is doing the right thing, I’m going to stand with the President. But at the end of the day, Congress is going to pass it. The Democrat Congress and some Republicans are going to stand up and override the President’s veto. But if we are serious about the fiscal responsibility, if we really want to earn our way back to majority, it’s time that we stand together and really do what we say we’re going to do. Be fiscally responsible.
BAIER: House Minority Leader John Boehner. Thank you for being here.
BOEHNER: Thank you.
