-House Speaker Boehner Says GOP Made ‘Good Faith Offer’ On Fiscal Cliff
-Rep. Boehner: ‘Available At Anytime’ To Meet With Obama
-House Majority Leader Cantor: ‘Nothing is Going On’ To Avert Cliff

By John Shaw

WASHINGTON (MNI) – House Speaker John Boehner Wednesday said House
Republicans made a “good faith offer” earlier this week with their proposal to
avert the fiscal cliff and said he is “ready and eager” to resume direct talks
with President Obama.

At a briefing with his House Republican leadership team, Boehner defended
his plan that calls for $1.4 trillion in spending cuts and $800 billion in
additional revenues through tax reform.

The spending savings include $600 billion from health care entitlements,
$300 billion from other entitlements, $200 billion by using the chained CPI for
indexing benefit programs and $300 billion in additional discretionary savings.

The Speaker said he remains convinced that it is possible to raise $800
billion in revenue by closing loopholes and limiting deductions, adding that the
bulk of these revenues would come from upper income people.

Boehner acknowledged that the House will leave Washington later today until
next week, but said he will remain in town and is ready to hold talks with the
president.

“I’ll be here,” Boehner said, adding that he will be “available at anytime”
to meet with Obama.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor blasted Obama for his “obsession to raise
taxes,” but said the GOP wants to resume talks.

“We want to sit down with the president,” Cantor said, adding that “nothing
is going on” to avert the fiscal cliff.

Speaking earlier Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said the
“quick, easy way out” of the current impasse would be for the House to pass the
legislation that the Senate approved last summer that would extend Bush era tax
cuts for those families making $250,000 or less.

Reid took several swipes at Republicans, saying the party remains in the
grip of the right wing Tea Party faction. This makes is difficult to conduct
“rational negotiations” with Republicans, Reid said.

–MNI Washington Bureau; tel: +1 202-371-2121; email: jshaw@mni-news.com

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