John Boehner 8TH DISCTRICT OF OHIO

You and your cohorts must act quickly and decisively to correct the situation that you have been a party in creating. The fiscal cliff was a gimmick created by Congress to force your own hand in making these difficult decisions. Kicking this down the road is what got us here in the first place. It is going to take some extraordinary courage on the part of a few brave politicians to make the right choices. These will be the people who will be favored by history, not the finger pointers. Blaming the President for not doing your job is just a regurgitation of the same old spoon fed talking points being repeated ad-nauseum by the likes of Grover. The financial theories of this crowd have not worked for the country at large, while a tiny minority have prospered within the political framework they have bought. It is time for those that made a mess at the party to help clean up. If, as you say, the solution is going to require mutual sacrifices then why does the Republican party insist on protecting the 2%. Take this moment to be brave and allow rates for those that can clearly afford them to rise. Every other solution puts all of the burden back on those that can least afford it. The notion that higher tax rates for these folks discourage investment in their own companies is a complete fallacy and actually the opposite of the truth. If faced with paying more in taxes or reinvesting more of my money in my business, I would choose the latter. Warren Buffet agrees with me. Here's to hoping you a great Christmas on the public dime.

Forget the wrangling back and forth over the things that will not solve the problems that we are facing as a nation. When are our elected officials going to stand up and get down to cutting the spending that is driving this nation to the brink of disaster? Talk is really cheap, actions speak. According to the Constitution there has to be a budget every year. Has there been a budget passed during the last four years? If not, is this constitutional?

my suggestions at this late date accept $400 k limit proposed by Obama accept $3.5 million exemtion on inheritance tax accept all spending concessions offered and strive for another $200 billion in reductions at the table Your position is weak get what you can I personally have parked my retirement funds in a money market and am prepared for a stock market crash, many are not ready avoid the cliff at all costs, avoid the 1 million inheritance tax exemption at all costs Tim Ryan

Speaker Boehner: 'Stronger than all the armies is an idea whose time has come.' Everett Dirksen spoke those words when he and a group of Republicans broke a filibuster by an intransigent Democratic faction who were filibustering the Civil Rights Act. This is your Dirksen moment. It is imperative that you find enough Republicans to pass bipartisan tax increase legislation. The time has come to increase taxes on those who can afford it.

Why don't you realize you're barking up a dead tree. You have to move your party to make sense. House wouldn't vote on Plan B so this puts the ball in your court. Republicans didn't get the messgae from the election - the people you are addressing are not the people that elect. YOU and the PARTY are going to look pretty bad if we go over the cliff.

Speaker Boehner I commend your efforts. Regardless the reticence of some members to support "Plan B", you have fairly represented the will of the House. It is an important duty which brings honor. Persist as you judge best, and Merry Christmas, you've earned it.

Cut spending offer tax credits to EVERYONE thats the only thing thats going to get America back on track be firm be strong be diligent God Bless You and Have A Very Merry Christmas

You seem to have a heart. Do what is right and support the middle class of America. You will create a legacy to be remembered. Thanks

SPEAKER BOEHNER: THE REAL FISCAL CLIFF IS OUT OF CONTROL SPENDING AND WASTE. FOMENTING FEAR OVER "THE FISCAL CLIFF" IS SIMPLY OBUMA'S STRATEGY TO CREATE ANOTHER CRISIS AND CHAOS TO BE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF. YOU MUST STICK TO CONSERVATIVE PRINCIPLES AND BALANCE THE FEDERAL BUDGET OR LOSE YOUR CONSERVATIVE BASE. THOU SHALT NOT INCREASE FEDERAL INCOME TAXES. THE MORE I MAKE, THE MORE YOUTAKE AND PISS DOWN A BLACK HOLE. THIS DOES NOT WORK FOR AMERICA. REFORM AND SIMPLIFY THE TAX CODES. CLOSE TAX LOOPHOLES. A FLAT TAX IS A BERY GOOD IDEA. ABOVE ALL, MAKE REAL CUTS TO SPENDING. ENTITLEMENTS ARE ON THE TABLE. WE MUST BECOME FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. WILLIA J. JAJESNICA PRSIDENT OBUMA DOES NOT HAVE THE BEST INTEREST OF AMERICA FOREMOST. HE SEEKS "REVENGE" AND RUIN. HE IS TOTALLY FOCUSED ON PUSHING HIS SOCIALIST AGENDA AND REDISTRIBUTING WEALTH. HOWEVER, HIS POLICES SIMPLY DESTROY WEALTH, CAPITALISM AND THE ECONOMY.

I think you should have put in the bill that if anyone wants to pay more taxes voluntarily, they can do so and let's see if Berkshire steps up to the plate or hollywood :) I believe Congress and Boehner are on the right track and Obama needs to be serious on cutting spending AND reducing deficit - hold him to his campaign speeches where he promised the people that he would be serious about cutting spending and reducing the deficit - The Republicans are the only party that are serious about it. EXPOSE OBAMA for his lies and EXPOSE his demands. Everyone knows we need to cut spending OR ELSE we will wind up like Greece. Republicans have stepped forward each time and demonstrated that they were willing to compromise but Obama stepped backwards each time instead of 'Moving Forward' and we will NOT be bamboozled into submission. NO WAY..

As a life long Republican I generally support most Republican positions. The Republican postion on the fiscal cliff is one that I cannot support. The Republicans are going to get the blame for the failure to reach an agreement unless you stop posturing about how fiscally responsible you are and actually do something. As much as I hate say it, I agree with Obama's comments today. Compromise is the path to agreement. No one can ever get 100% of what they want. Why is it so hard to find common ground and agree? Obama's comments today put the burden on you and the House to make a deal. Should the fiscal cliff occur, Republicans will be blamed for it and you will lose control of the House in the next election. How can the Republicans not see this? I was a Mayor of a small town for 7 yr and found that the best decisions my council made were those when compromise was found. Don't screw everything up by being so stubborn. This is not the time to do it.

Dear Speaker Boehner, I wrote your office weeks ago to expressing my growing concerns as I follow the fiscal cliff negotiations in Washington. I personally know many Americans struggling financially. As Speaker of the House, I urged you to focus on the common good by ending tax breaks for the wealthy and protecting the poor and vulnerable by making sure they have the basic provisions they need to survive. Today, I am disappointed with your actions. I am disappointed that you failed to deal fairly and bipartisanly in your negotiations and failed to reflect the values we share as a nation, especially during these times of high stress and anxiety. You behave as if you are oblivious to what is happening around us. Please reconsider and make things right before the end of the year. This is not a partisan fight. This is a fight by people who aren't able to scrape by financially. Sincerely, Vivian Ramone Kent, Ohio

I work as a behavioral health professional. If I left my patients to go home for the holidays because my job is hard and my clinical team could not agree about a path forward in our agency--leaving people in crisis, I would be fired. If we are to cut entitlements, I think we should start with lawmakers that walk off the job. No more jobs. No more cushy benefits. No right to re-election. I have paid into social security my whole life. Medicare too. I have to take a cut? How many lawmakers make more than $130,000 and do not pay into SS on any income above that threshold? How much does your benefit package cost me? Talk about entitlements. I say we start with slashing the jobs and benefits of lawmakers in a symbolic gesture to get the message across that you have been elected to do a job, NOT hold hostage an entire country.

Thank you Representative Boehner for trying to find or force a compromise solution to the fiscal cliff issue. As a taxpayer, I am disappointed that President Obama and the Democratic Senate are content with dooming our country with inevitable bankruptcy. And to disrupt our ability to timely file our 2012 tax return due to the uncertainty about tax laws. I am looking forward to reviewing their proposed bill aimed at resolving our fiscal cliff challenge. Aloha, John M. Tamashiro

Did the GOP agree to the proposal by Obama to chage the calculation of the COLA that would reduce Social Securiy income for Seniors and annuities of Federal retirees?

Speaker Boehner has been a refreshing and articulate voice of reason/commonsense wrt the imperative need to begin to take meaningful steps towards more fiscally responsible tax and spending policies. While disappointed Plan B failed there may be a silver lining in falling over the Fiscal Clift, I.e. the tax base will broaden and spending cuts will occur. As a recession would then appear more probable, we will experience some pain. That said, the significant pain we will incur should we fail to start acting responsibly will be many times greater. As the Democrats have historically never followed through on "promised" spending cuts the key is for Republicans not to surrender the magnitude of the achieved spending cuts via the Fiscal Clift to gain anything less than 100% of targeted tax reform.

As a slightly left leaning NYS Democrat I get the impression that you are really trying to come to some kind of agreement. Although I do not agree with the far right policies I do not want you to give up. Please keep moderating and do not listen to the extremists on either side. No one should be afraid of giving a little ground, even if you feel that it is not equal. No one is ever going to be happy with the outcome of any agreement so just do your best but please do something. Happy holidays.

First let me say I think it was the correct action to move forward the tax bill yesterday. I think the higher ceiling at $1M income is strategically correct as many smaller businesses operating at the $250,000 to $1M level being taxed at a higher rate will cause them to contract and reduce employees, reduce investment in their organization and stifle growth which will further spiral the economy downward. The economy is just to fragile for a taxation of those earning $250,000 to $750,000. An alternative idea would be to increase taxes on combination of income and net worth. Income over $500,000 and net worth over $1M would still allow investment by many small businesses and would encourage spending by a large segment of this group who otherwise would be forced or inclined to stop. We may have to assume that there will be no solution this year (2012) for tax increases and spending cuts that were voted on last year (2011). It is important to note that after the debt ceiling increase was voted on August 2, 2011 the US credit rating was dropped August 5th 2011. And from July 21, 2011 to August 10, 2011, the Dow dropped from 12,700 to 10,700 (2,000 points over 13 trading days) and from the August 2, 2011 debt ceiling vote to August 8, 2011 the Dow dropped 1,400 point in only 5 trading days. Even with the bill not taken up yesterday Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index dropped 0.68% and Tokyo’ Nikkei 225 index fell 0.99%. As morning rolled across the world, the Germany DAX index declined by 0.74% and the French CAC 40 index moved 0.46% lower. I think a plan to increase taxes on any group under $750,000 income level will again trigger an even more robust future drop of the DOW. I really appreciate Mr. Boehner's understanding of small businesses, physician offices, entrepreneurs, etc. who are so vitally important to the creation of jobs, fueling of the economy and the economic engine of the U.S. With higher taxes on this group we will force the country into significantly deeper problems. Please keep up the fight so we can get on with recovery! Thank you and God bless.

I feel if Congress and the GOP want to reduce ( entitlements ) they should be leaders and start with theirs. pay into their retirement as we do with a tax payers match of 3%. pay for the health insurance like we do with an Avg plan as us, pay no higher than the avg income of the USA. work a 40 hour week, Paycheck based on hours worked. same paid holidays as us. 2 term limit and no unemployment after leaving office. Be watched by a separate group to watch how they invest, based on insider info and if they pass laws and regulations or contracts that increase their wealth. Its time we do what is right for America not these Union thugs, because thats what they are. Most powerful union in the land...they get everything that they want and we have no say...

Why can't the House, with you Sen. Boehner, raise taxes on the super rich? If it wasn't for the working class citizens, the rich wouldn't have all there fortune. Instead of making an agreement, the working class is going to have to suffer more because of this fiscal cliff? This is not right, the people voted politicians in office.

Mr. Boehner, Please soften your approach to OUR President and begin to govern effectively by negotiation and COMPROMISE.

I have been a Republican for over 40 years. Today I am sad and very upset to see that House Republicans are welling to have American Taxpayers suffer because of a number of outside conservative groups such as the Club for Growth and Heritage Action for America openly pressured lawmakers to reject your bill. In school I was taught that Congress was there to protect the people of the United States not special conservative groups. We the people deserve better.

You, Speaker Boehner, have represented all Americans well. I support your efforts to reach the compromise which you negotiated with the dems. I am appalled that the house republicans rejected that compromise. Please know that many thousands of citizens applaud you and wish you the support you have earned and should have from the house republicans. Respectfully, Debra Shivers

What is really needed is REAL LEADERSHIP in the House.If the republicans felt anything for the millions in this country that work hard for every dime we get, there would be no questions or problems when it comes to taxes and prepaid entitlements. There needs to be a overhaul in the house.

Thank you, Speaker Boehner for standing strong and trying to get the Democrats who want to continue to spend, spend, spend and have all these entitlement programs that the 'middle class' has to pay for. I heard a recommendation on a talk show that perhaps you should just pass the bill that you successfully passed this year, that continued the tax cuts, etc., so that the Democrats can't blame the Republicans for going 'over the cliff'. The House really needs to pass a bill,so that we don't get blamed for everything, like President Obama will certainly do in his State of the Union.

The Republican Party took in these Tea Party folks to gain the majority in the house, now like the dog chasing a car you have no idea what to do with your majority. Neither you nor the Democrats can pass reasonable bills ,we have no House of Representatives.

Hold firm to principle! I have been suffering finacilly since the housing crash and I'm willing to sacrafice for a better US for mine and other American children. Keep up the good but hard fight David

Dear Mr. Speaker, I am not from Ohio and I am not a Republican. I am an Independent and I live in Florida. But I wanted to let you know that I appreciate the efforts you are going through to work out a deal on the fiscal cliff with the President. The last plan you proposed that raised tax rates on millionaires and cut spending is exaclty what this country needs. The Republicans that opposed you are not in the majority. There are more Americans standing behind you than against in you in this cause. Do not be discouraged.

Mr Boehner It's not your job to listen to only the few, and to forget the rest. It is your job to do what's right for the country. It's not your only job to only listen to those who give you millions in contributions. You know as well as everyone else now, that the trickle down theory you and others have, is only a message the rich want you to tell everyone else. It's never been shown to be a fact, anywhere. I've reseached it for a very long time, and it doesn't fly, or pass the smell test. If you ever want to win any control from this point on, instead of losing support, you need to move more to the center. You have to remember, it's not only what your district wants, or what the rich want, it has everything to with what the country as a whole wants. If you think, making it look like your holding your ground against the Dems. makes you look good, your mistaken. It makes you look like, all you care about, is getting those contributions from the 1% . It makes you look like you don't care what happens to this country. It makes you look like a foolish man who's willing to take his ball home if he doesn't get want he wants. Finally, just do what the majority of the people want. It'll make you look like a man who has the people's best interests at heart.

McDonald’s people have to work, Congress does not? McDonald’s fast food restaurants decided to push its franchise owners to stay open and require employees to work on Christmas to improve revenues. A spokesperson confirmed that employees do not receive holiday pay for flipping burgers that day. Traditionally, out of respect for their employees and families, McDonald’s had closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas days; unfortunately, not any more. McDonald’s says it needs to report more profits by January first. Work on the Christmas holidays? Not for our Federal House of Representatives who chose not to negotiate or compromise further and even called off voting. They recessed and ran home for an early holiday weekend with their own Fiscal Cliff deadline coming on January first. Our US Constitution requires: “All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives.” So, everyone in Washington D.C. might as well vacation too. Flipping burgers seems more important to McDonald’s than our economic future is to the conservative Republican House leadership. When required by the boss or customers needing delivery by January, I and others had to work hard on Christmas (and other holidays). So did my relatives in health care. We celebrated Christmas later, after we did our work. Many people work on Christmas to provide necessary services to fellow Americans. “Not so us” think Congress people, even if our fragile economy requires it and emergency economic deadlines loom negatively affecting every American. George Washington courageously crossed the Delaware River on Christmas to attack German mercenaries to win our freedoms. This year, Congress people crossed the Delaware to flee home and run away from the NRA rather than protect our children by banning assault weapons being purchased daily. Our Republican Representatives are not like those in the new movie “Lincoln.” Those Republicans (and Democrats) repealed slavery and saved our Union of the States. They fulfilled their very difficult jobs to negotiate, compromise, and vote on the Thirteenth Amendment to our Constitution by the deadline date. Our Republican Representatives, instead of voting, keeps middle class working Americans worrying about loss of their jobs and their homes next year. Why they left -- because they want to prevent increased taxes on their millionaire friends – some of whom are themselves. Negotiate, compromise, and vote – again and again if necessary.

mr speaker please get off the fence and pass a bill that does not favor the wellto do americans.this country will not go down if they pay more taxes. i know how people in business can take deductions thru such things as gas and cars etc for non business purposes.. most millionaires have no problem with taxes because of loopholes in the tax code. you people in washington talk about closing loop holes, why not spell exactly what loopholes you would close. respecfully charles krause

The clock is ticking...tic tock, tic tock, tid tock. Once again politics and politicians take themselves more serious than they do the voters in this country. The vote was clear. Raise taxes on those earning 250K and higher, cut spending. Not hard to understand. Don't think that the American people are stupid, and will forgive even a moments hesitation in the Congress allowing all of us to plunge over the cliff. Even if congress allows all tax rates to go up, and later saves the 98%, just so you all can claim you didn't vote for an increase...WE KNOW THE DIFFERENCE! Allowing this embarrasing lack of negotiation to go this far is shameful enough, but allowing it to fly off the cliff would be the most irresponsible, fiscally catastrophic, act that each member is responsible for. Speaker Beohner, you must stand up and get the peoples work done. Of course, I am watching.

Mr Boehner, I am with you. You have been strong, deligent and resourceful. I am 73, caucasion, still working 30 hrs a week because I am afraid to retire. I work in the medical field, a lot of people come in that are on welfare. They don't deserve. They have their hair done, nails done,wear fancy clothes. This does not come from welfare, but yet they are on welfare. Young people, why aren't they investigated and made to find work. Obama has turned our country into a socialistic government, gimme, gimme, and no thanks to the middle class people who pay for all these freebies. I am tired of it. we might as well go over the cliff because we are going to end up paying taxes anyway. Mr Boehner, you are our Moses, let my people go, God Bless you and all your hard work. If you need help email me.

It is better to go over the 'fiscal cliff' and take the fall than to agree to a plan that sounds good, but does not offer a real, long-term solution. It is better to go over the cliff than to raise the debt ceiling AGAIN, thereby creating even more massive debt to pile on both this generation and future generations. Either way, Republicans will be blamed. By focusing on which income level should be taxed, the Democrats have, one more time, shaped the conversation at the public level, misleading the people about what the real problem is (how the government spends) and putting the Republicans on the defensive, including you! It is almost politically impossible to take away something once it has been given, out of fear of appearing like someone who doesn't care. Obama's Social Security ("payroll") tax cut must be restored---how did it happen that Social Security taxes were cut from workers payrolls while Social Security payments increased and we've been told the fund is going to run out? Also, by focusing on the tax on high earners, there is no talk about the biggest entitlement program in history looming on our country's horizon---the Health Care bill. We now are entering into a period of our history where we have a significant portion of the population receiving subsidized housing, free food, free PHONES, free healthcare, subsidized or free transportation, free breakfasts and lunches for kids---who is going to pay for all this, Mr. Speaker? The rich don't have it, and unless the economy gets better, the middle class is not going to be able to provide it, as they have been. And we're tired of paying for government employees who receive more benefits, including retirement, than the people in the private sector who must pay for it!! And by the way, lowering the interest on student loans is not addressing the cost of education! Our son works and goes to college and we still have huge student loan debt! Again, those who have nothing are rewarded. Why should my son who is considered an adult, graduate from college with a huge debt because of his parents's income, while others go for free? So, if your parents have a decent income, than you get the DEBT, and if your parents don't have a decent income, you have NO DEBT? Probably is if we weren't paying so much in taxes, we'd have more money for college! Finally, the bloated bureaucracy in Washington and elsewhere might be a good place to start making cuts in spending--to show us that you are willing to make the painful, unpopular cuts that we are all going to have to eventually live with. And we WILL SURVIVE, because we HAVE SURVIVED--since the founding of this country. Please, Mr. Speaker, continue to stand up for what is right and good for this country. We are counting on you. Please do not listen or cave to those of who would suggest you resign---they only want to get rid of an obstacle to their own agendas!! We believe in you and you will be on the right side of history! If "blaming" the Republicans for forcing actions which will ultimately help the country, though not without pain, it is worth the sacrifice! I pray that God continues to give you the courage of your convictions. By the way, taxes are already going up for the middle class--one example is that starting next year (for 2012?) one can only write off the medical expenses which exceed 10%--up from 7.5%---that's a tax increase! I hope that you and your cohort do not touch the deduction for mortgage interest and taxes--it is one of the last rewards for those of us who work hard and pay for what we have. Thank you in advance for your time. Patty Hull

Speaker Beohner, Republicans across this country voted to keep you as speaker and a Republican majority in the House. The people's House. ObamaCare should not be funded through the Republican House with Republican's overwhelmingly against it. Then Obamacare goes away. Get rid of electronic medical records which was the beginning of citizens completely loosing what privacy we had left. You are holding all of the cards. Use them. if we go over the cliff so be it. It is the Obama presidency. Representing Becky Currie RN Mississippi

It is a sad day indeed when you would rather "stand firm" and toss the economy into a nosedive rather than compromise, and avert the financial disaster we are looking at. I am so frustrated with both the big political parties! I hope a few of the elected officials in Washington remember that they are there to represent us, not feather their own nests and plan for their next election! I have about had it with the term entitlements too! People spent their entire working life paying into social security, expecting it to be there for them, as promised, it is not an unreasonable expectation! Most people that retire NEED social security, it is not some cushy "extra" that they did nothing to earn. Washington should not have been using those funds for other things over the years, it should have been saved for them, and invested in ways to make it financially safe. I think that some of the programs that help poor, and medically needy people need to be overhauled to eliminate waste and fraud, but not slashed! We are borrowing money at alarming rates, but there are all sorts of places to cut spending, without throwing the most vulnerable americans under the bus. We have an awful lot of money going to foreign aid, that is not being used as it was originally intended. Foreign Aid has become bribery, and it was originally meant to be humanitarian aid for poverty stricken people, now those people never even see it, because their "government" gets it for being "friendly" to the U.S. How about we quit borrowing money(and paying interest on it) to pass out around the world until we are out of debt? How about cutting back on the military where we are outspending everyone by billions? They blow so much money on product development and research on weapons it is obscene. I am not talking about the average soldiers pay, I am talking about the defense contracts to buddies that are seriously overpaid. Maybe if we solve the problems here, we would not have time to keep getting involved in everyone else's problems, that would certainly save us billions too. Maybe we could use our military to actually close our borders? It is sad to hear all the negative statements about "Obamacare" from Washington, when they all have full, free medical coverage for life, they are sure unfeeling for the millions in our country that have no coverage at all. This country is facing massive problems and it is past time for democrats and republicans to work together and compromise and find a solution! Otherwise it is probably time for "we the people" to look at other parties for candidates.

If Congress is unable to work out a resolution, a compromise, then I say they should not be paid. Has anyone suggested that our Congress not get paid? No work, then they should not be paid. Period. That will get them off their butts.

Dear Speaker Boehner: PLEASE display some backbone - DO NOT agree with Obama and the rest of the Socialists that seek to enrich themselves while destroying America. Taxes should not be increased on ANYBODY - do not renew the 99 weeks of welfare, oh the Democrats call it 99 weeks of unemployment. Let the unemployed use up their normal unemployment then apply for welfare like all the rest of the people that choose not to work or cannot work. If nothing else DO NOT AGREE TO EXTEND THE 99 WEEKS OF WELFARE.

Please show your talents-don't let someone show you up by making you look so ineffective. I trust you to lead and move the party to make sense. We will lose you as the Speaker of the House if you don't pass the bill from the Senate.. YOU and the HOUSE look like you only care about the RICH Guys who give you money to get reelected. Some of us are not millionaires... You are hurting us.

Please don't let Eric Cantor play you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We need to take care of our seniors. Quit showing Republicans as being selfish and whiny. See what happened to Romney.