HOUSE Republican Leader John Boehner

Washington, Mar 18, 2009 - During a radio interview with Nashville-based talk radio host Steve Gill this morning, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) expressed his outrage that Hill Democrats and the White House allowed AIG executives to receive millions in taxpayer-funded bonuses, saying that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was “on thin ice.”  Boehner also discussed how the budget plan put forward by President Obama spends too much, taxes too much, and borrows too much at a time when our economy is in a recession and families and small businesses are looking to Washington for real solutions to create and preserve jobs.  Boehner released a VIDEO today responding to President Obama’s request for bipartisan budget proposals, making clear that Republicans will offer a superior alternative and outlining the GOP principles for a better budget.  Key excerpts of Boehner’s interview follow:

BOEHNER ON WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION KNEW ABOUT AIG BONUSES AND WHEN:

“Today, the guy who is running AIG on behalf of the government, a guy named Mr. Liddy will be testifying or is testifying over at the Financial Services Committee and there are just a lot of questions all surrounded by what did the Administration know, when did they know it and what did they do about it?  And we’re trying to get to the bottom of this on behalf of American taxpayers who are rightly outraged at this abuse of their money.”  (AUDIO)

BOEHNER ON TREASURY SECRETARY TIM GEITHNER AND HIS ROLE IN THE AIG FINANCIAL SCANDAL:

“I think [Geithner] is on thin ice.”  (AUDIO)

BOEHNER ON THE PRESIDENT’S BUDGET THAT SPENDS, TAXES, & BORROWS TOO MUCH:

 
“When you look at the President’s budget it’s real clear that it spends too much, it taxes too much, it borrows too much from our kids and grandkids.   And in the middle of a recession – to have a $1.5 trillion tax increase – in this proposal I think is ludicrous.”  (AUDIO)

BOEHNER ON DEMOCRATS’ “CAP-AND-TRADE” ENERGY TAX THAT WILL INCREASE COSTS FOR EVERY SINGLE AMERICAN:

 
“The President says there isn’t anyone that makes under $250,000 that’s going to pay one dime of new taxes.  It’s just not true.  They’ve got this energy tax in there that they call cap-and-trade.  I call it cap-and-tax.  If you drive a car, you’re going to pay it.  If you buy goods that are produced in the United States, you’re going to pay it.  And if you have the audacity to flip on a light switch, you’re going to pay it.  In a home state like Ohio where I’m from, it will cost our electricity consumers a 50 percent in their electricity literally overnight.  And it’s bad enough we have this big tax increase in there – the even more dangerous part is that this will cause millions of American jobs to be moved overseas.”  (AUDIO)

BOEHNER ON THE TAXPAYER TEA PARTY PROTESTS OCCURRING ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY: 

“They really are popping up all over the country and this one in Cincinnati, I live in the North Cincinnati suburbs, was started by one man.  One person who got on the internet and began to organize this and frankly through the internet and talk radio they brought 5,000 people out to protest what’s going on with the budget here in Washington.  So you’re seeing these all over the country and Steve, as you’re well aware, when the American people get engaged in their government, their Representatives listen.”  (AUDIO)