In a statement yesterday, Speaker Boehner called for action to avert the fiscal cliff that would destroy 700,000 jobs, and move toward “a fairer, simpler, cleaner tax code” and entitlement reforms to boost economic growth and help address America’s skyrocketing debt.  Here are several news reports highlighting the Speaker’s call to action:

• “Clear That Republicans Wouldn’t Support Raising Tax Rates” “Mr. Boehner was clear that Republicans wouldn’t support raising tax rates. In fact, he said he wanted tax rates to be lower. … He said any bipartisan ‘tax reform’ plan that lowered tax rates and eliminated certain deductions would naturally lead to economic growth, triggering more tax revenue.” (The Wall Street Journal, 11/7/12)
• “If You Raise the Rates You Decrease Economic Activity and Prosperity” Fox News Analyst Charles Krauthammer: “What Boehner is saying is … what the debt commission Obama himself appointed had said. Obama has a sort of religious attachment to the idea of raising rates. It’s agreed if you raise the rates you decrease economic activity and prosperity.” (Fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier, 11/7/12)
• “New Tax Money Must Not Come from Higher Tax Rates” “But the Ohio Republican said new tax money must not come from higher tax rates — something President Obama has pushed for…and said it should come instead from getting rid of loopholes that distort the tax code.” (The Washington Times, 11/7/12)
• “A Reformed Tax Code Can Raise More Revenue…By Generating Economic Growth” “Done right, Boehner said in public remarks in Washington, a reformed tax code can raise more revenue by curbing special interest loopholes and deductions and by generating economic growth. That’s very different than raising tax rates -- something that has been off the table for Republicans.” (CNNMoney, 11/8/12)
• “A Balanced Approach Isn’t Balanced If it Means Higher Taxes on Small Businesses” “House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said that congressional Republicans will not support raising tax rates while not cutting spending, but instead called for tax reform that would raise revenue by closing deductions accompanied by spending cuts. ‘A balanced approach isn’t balanced if it means higher taxes on small businesses that are the key to getting our economy moving again’ Boehner said...” (The Washington Examiner, 11/7/12)
• “If Taxes Are Raised,” Small Businesses “Will Be Less Likely to Be Able to Hire New Workers” “In a press conference, Boehner said he will not support raising the top two income tax brackets, as Obama has proposed. … Hiking taxes on the so-called wealthy would help send us into a recession because so many small businesses report their income on individual tax returns. If taxes are raised, they will be less likely to be able to hire new workers and make new capital investments.” (Newsmax, 11/7/12)
• “Increased Revenue . . . as the By-Product of a Growing Economy” “While Boehner suggested that Republicans would continue to oppose Obama’s plan to take ‘a larger share of what the American people earn through higher tax rates,’ he said the party is open to ‘increased revenue . . . as the by-product of a growing economy, energized by a simpler, cleaner, fairer tax code, with fewer loopholes, and lower rates for all.’” (The Washington Post, 11/7/12)
• “Shoring Up Entitlements and Reforming the Tax Code” to “Bring Jobs Home” “‘Shoring up entitlements and reforming the tax code…will bring jobs home and result in a stronger, healthier economy,’ the speaker said… Boehner called for bipartisan negotiations to avert the fiscal cliff of tax increases and spending cuts scheduled to begin in January.” (Bloomberg News, 11/7/12)

In remarks earlier this week, Speaker Boehner made clear that there is “no mandate for raising tax rates” on the American people.  President Obama “has a mandate to fix things,” says CNN’s Gloria Borger, “and that’s about as far as it really goes.”  Republicans have laid out a path forward that will help fix things by preventing a huge tax hike on small businesses, reforming the tax code to bring jobs home and increasing economic growth to begin addressing the more than $16 trillion debt that is weighing on our economy.   

Watch and read Speaker Boehner’s full remarks, and share your views, here on the Speaker’s blog.