Boehner: "no substantive progress" on "cliff" talks

Updated at 2:45 p.m. ET

House Speaker John Boehner offered a dim view of ongoing discussions with the White House on the so-called "fiscal cliff," saying there has been "no substantive progress" between the two parties over the past two weeks.

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Boehner: "No substantive progress" on "fiscal cliff" talks

Boehner told reporters today that he is "disappointed" and that there is "a real danger" of going "off the cliff" as more than half a trillion dollars worth of tax hikes and spending cuts are set to go into effect in the New Year.

"This is not a game," Boehner said, adding that this is the time for the president to show "adult leadership."

Boehner's public criticism of the president and the negotiations come the morning after he spoke on the phone with Mr. Obama. He described the phone call as "frank and direct" and said his lowered perception of the talks emanates, in part, from that phone call and a morning meeting he had with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and White House legislative council Rob Nabors.

Boehner's harsh tone is a shift from previous statements, including one just yesterday when he said he was "optimistic" about the prospects of reaching a deal with the president. But even while he expressed optimism one day prior, there were signs that he was becoming dissatisfied with the direction of the talks. He criticized the president Wednesday saying "it's time for the president and Democrats to get serious about the spending problem that our country has."

Boehner continued to push the White House for spending cuts today. He said he is "seriously" trying to avert the fiscal crisis and has made a major concession by putting revenue on the table despite Republicans' existing stance against raising taxes. "Revenue is on the table but revenue was only on the table if there are serious spending cuts," he said.

• "Fiscal cliff": It's more than just taxes
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Democrats, meanwhile, insist that spending cuts have been proposed. They point to previous proposals as well as legislation that has already been passed.

White House spokesperson Jay Carney responded to Boehner's demands, saying the president "has always proceeded with real numbers." Carney pointed to his oft-repeated statement that the president proposed $340 billion worth of cuts to Medicare and health care programs in his previous budget.

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Pelosi: GOP "can hike on back" for "fiscal cliff" negotiations

And House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., points to legislation previously passed by Congress, including the Budget Control Act, which cut $1 trillion from the budget over 10 years as part of the 2011 deal to lift the debt ceiling.

"They keep saying where are the cuts? Over a trillion dollars, we have agreed to," Pelosi said today, pointing out that Democrats agreed to that without revenue increases.

Just minutes after Boehner finished his news conference, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said of Boehner that he doesn't "understand his brain." He added, "Republicans know where we stand. We've said it, we've said it, we've said it so many times."

Reid was referring to the Democrats' position on taxes and said they are "still waiting for a serious offer from Republicans."

"Really, now is the time for Republicans to move past this happy talk about revenues - ill-defined, of course - and put specifics on the table."

Boehner said Republicans presented "a framework" two weeks ago that would be "a down payment" that included spending cuts and revenue. He said the framework set in place "a process" to enact reforms to entitlement programs next year.

The president, meanwhile, has taken his argument on the road and held an event in Pennsylvania to sell to the public his plan to raise taxes on those making more than $250,000 per year while extending the current tax rates for all other wage earners. Boehner criticized his trip as a "campaign style" rally, inferring that it's not productive to reaching a deal.

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

Republicans have 2 more years of power to stop America's progress. Countdown to 2014 elections where they get flushed down the toilet like the $hit they are.

[TimeToEvolve]

Whatever the tax increase on the rich accomplishes at least it will be a start. It is the principle that it is immoral for the 400 riches families to own as much as the BOTTOM 45% OF AMERICANS.

If we make the rich and the giant corporations pay their fair share (many pay NO TAXES), maybe someday we can have a real country like Canada.

[TimeToEvolve]

So you think it is fair for the rich to pay less than you and me? Why? Are you nuts?

[WhereisOT]

Wheres all the crocodile tears from the fearless obstructionist "leader"...

Are you watching World....Embarrassing/pathetic and then some huh...
Second verse same as the first...
Obstruct, bluster, lie, do nothing Jokes to Democracy and to the People...
The same idiots "owned" by the super duper "rich" in the good ole USA are not only willing to finish screwing this Economy to death and The Working People...But their idiocy just might affect your lives as well...
Its a "connection" thing...

Maybe the crying time for this do NOTHING For the People comes late at night while his "owners" have him on the phone, bellowing threats and intimidation...
That be the same lowlife greed driven bast*rds who threw billions into making this Second Term President a one term President...lol

Do the "creators" who hide behind $ and the party they own Really wanta little "class warfare".......Literally...
No doubt, all the insignificant "others" would have to do is say when...
One would Imagine there's Plenty of hard Working Americans who would jump at the chance to throw a few "owners" of the republican party outta their frickin fancy high rise windows...Golden parachutes not included...

[margroks]

What Republicans get blamed for is getting us into two unwinnabe wars that were not originally figured into the budget and that did run up the debt.

[TimeToEvolve]

The fact is that President Obama ran on raising taxes on the rich and he was re-elected. 60% of the American people are in favor of that. So all he has to do is let the tax cuts expire and he will have done what he said he would do. And everyone in the middle class will understand that it was the Republicons who made their taxes go up.

[A_Canadian_Opinion]

You can always tell the highly educated folks in these forums. You know, the ones that say things like "I wished I could" or use spelling like "to complicated."

It's unfortunate that some things are too complicated for you to explain. It's unfortunate that you missed the "no child left behind" era.

[ManOfSteel-Velvet]

hillzhaveays says:
troutfishman replies:
Socialist

Studies show that FoxNews viewers are the most consistently misinformed on issues.

Oh ... forgot. You don't believe in studies or polls.
___________________________________

They do studies on this subject? Must have been a pretty slow day. And they did more than one study? Who's providing all these grants?

---------------------

This was based on multiple analyses of Fox News viewers' misconception or wrong answer to verifiable facts of important issues in comparison to the general public. For example:

1) 2003 survey on Iraq War by Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland.

2) 2010 survey on Global Warming from Stanford University political scientist Jon Krosnick and visiting scholar Bo MacInnis.

3) American University communications scholar Lauren Feldman and her colleagues reported on their analysis of a 2008 national survey on Global Warming.

4) 2009 NBC survey on Healthcare Reform.

5) the 2011 Kaiser Family Foundation's study on public misperception about healthcare reform.

6) Ohio State University 2010 study of public misperception about the "Ground Zero Mosque"

and so on.

[nearl451]

Ok. It's the "Cliff" then.

Guess what? It's not that drastic and its about time we realize that to spend like we do wehave to tax more....especially during war time.

[nottblu]

of course raising taxes is part of it but the spending is the vast majority of the problem and the left refuses to address spending, refuses to address the fact that 60% of the annual budget goes to entitlements more than military and all other spending combined.

[WHAT-IS-HE-SMOKING]

Well let's see, the number one major cost is Health Care at $916.1B. But under that is MEDICARE which we have a special tax coming out of our pay.
Now the number two is defense at $901B which we don't have any special tax paying for it.
And the third is Pensions at $878.5B, but most of that ($825.9B is social security which again there is a special tax to pay for that.

[nottblu]

SPINNER OR WINNER: "Everybody is wrong except for nuts are blue" LOL!

Ok spinner, that is your rebuttle???? I guess when you cannot contradict my facts with truth and reality your way is simply to name call and laugh it off, that is defintely your way that is defintely the wrong way.

[fiberglass3]

Let the people decide this issue.

[RollotheNorman]

The people already spoke, on Nov 6.

[rightontarget]

Look, bottom line is that the PEOPLE re-elected President Obama largly BECAUSE he insists upon evening out the tax burden and THAT is what the PEOPLE want. He cannot and will not let the wealthiest Americans get off scott free. That is what the majority of American citizens WANT him to do. So where do these "Gods" of the GOP get off trying to blackmail and manipulate the situation for their OWN agenda which is to protect the wealthy? If that means going off some "fiscal cliff" then so be it! At least we will ALL feel the brunt of that INCLUDES those at the top of the "food chain".

[RollotheNorman]

"Typez replies:
Will can still say no. Majority won, but it does not mean you are right"

LOL, George Will? He's a tired old baseball statistician and RepubliCON talking head, I guess a hand full still read him. He quit being influential a decade ago.

Oh, you mean RepubliCONs are going to dig in to thwart the expressed will of the people. Well, I guess the rich-boyz and their idolizers can try. But try not to whine when you get your lumps.

[nottblu]

explainhow taxing alone is good for the economy, good for the average american, is that your solution to the defecit, bankrupt entitlement programs, and this failed economy?