–House Minority Whip: Health Repeal Vote a Political Message
–Backs Obama’s Tax Cut Plan, But Prefers ‘Clinton Rates’
–Sequestration Should Be Replaced By Bold Deficit Plan
By John Shaw
WASHINGTON (MNI) – House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer said Tuesday he
expects the House to repeal the 2010 health care law on a mostly party
line vote Wednesday, but added that the vote will not have any practical
effect.
At a briefing, Hoyer blasted House Republicans for scheduling
another vote to repeal all or parts of the 2010 health care law.
“This is the 31st vote,” he said, and the outcome of the House vote
is clear. “We (Democrats) are going to lose,” he said.
Hoyer blasted the GOP for wasting time on a health care repeal
effort that is going nowhere in the Senate.
“It’s all about base messaging, not growing the economy,” Hoyer
said.
Republicans, he charged, are focused “solely on the politics of
their base and not the growth of the economy.”
“We need to be focused on jobs,” he said.
Hoyer praised President Barack Obama’s statement Monday in which he
renewed his support for extending Bush era tax cuts only for those
making $250,000 or less.
“I believe $250,000 is a reasonable level, but I would go lower
over the long term,” he said. “I think the Clinton rates worked pretty
well,” he said, referring to the tax rates in place prior to the 2001
and 2003 Bush tax cuts.
Finally, Hoyer said Congress should replace the coming
across-the-board spending cuts with a “big, bold and balanced” deficit
reduction plan.
Hoyer said enacting a plan this year to cut future budget deficits
would boost the economy and provide a much needed injection of
confidence that policymakers are grappling with the nation’s fiscal
problems.
House Republicans have passed a bill that would replace about $110
billion in across-the-board discretionary cuts in the 2013 fiscal year
with a $300 billion, 10-year plan that is composed largely of
entitlement savings.
** MNI Washington Bureau: (202) 371-2121 **
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