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Rep. Randy Forbes, (R-Va.), on efforts to include more spending cuts in a potential fiscal cliff deal.
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Well our next guest was in a special closed door Republican conference meeting just tell them.
-- house speaker Boehner is plan B approach is working working out.
Joining us now is congressman Randy Forbes member of the armed services committee House Judiciary Committee.
And I said just has just -- left the Republican conference -- speaker Boehner.
What's the headline congressman.
Well Lou you know we're in the fourth quarter and time is running out to fix this fiscal problem and I.
Think -- have to first -- looking -- that is three components what's gonna happen with these tax rates if they go up on the first of the year.
Could cost this 800000 jobs -- -- spending problem we got -- ruining our future and the future of the country and third what's gonna happen the national defense -- sequestration comes in.
The three -- of this the president calling wants to talk about is these tax rates and only wants to deal with situation from people under 200000 dollars.
Basically that would give him enough money to probably run the country for about ten days but it could cost is 800000 jobs be speaker has a proposal that would.
On -- these rates them on a permanent basis for everybody who was making a million dollars or less.
He believes we can do it sequentially which is deal with the rates right now.
And then a deal with spending later and then perhaps sequestration.
Third great for people like me who believe we shouldn't be raising these tax rates.
And then if we don't do it all in one town we'll lose our leverage and we'll never get -- really dealing with the big problem which is spending.
Our terrific -- canvas of the situation we have before us so let me go to my original question.
What's the headline out of the conference I does Boehner and the support of the contest to continue to press ahead to reduce from a million dollars.
Down -- you're to a marginal rates they -- 400000 take the president's number or something in between.
-- how much in the way of spending cuts are you ready to accept it was -- remaining.
Boehner asking for your support and your approval or -- -- tell me how it's going and then he's going to come to you later for your approval.
No -- the speaker -- was asking people in the conference tonight.
They were whipping later I can't tell you what the outcome of that whip count will be.
I can only tell you that I indicated unless we could do something with spending something with sequestration.
That acted very for the current proposal that's being put -- on the table.
Whether or not the rest of the -- is gonna go along with that we'll probably know by tomorrow and I expect this will probably come up sometime Thursday.
Knowing as you do and and no one would know better than you congressman.
The impact of sequestration.
And that one point two trillion dollars an automatic.
Budget cuts that would ensue as a result -- and much of it is about 55 billion.
Of falling due almost immediately on the defense of budget.
You still don't want a deal on anything remotely near these term.
Well Lou if you look -- sequestration is not in part of either the president's deal or in this class drug that was put on by the speaker -- and it'll be devastating to our national security.
But also to our economy we could lose as many as one point five million jobs I just couldn't accept the proposal like that once we get better assurances.
We're gonna deal with this issue with the spending problem that we've got.
And again I don't think cutting I -- increasing taxes is the way to deal with those two problems.
And you know I have to respect your position -- and ask you straight forward.
We are working -- a spectacle with twelve days remaining.
In which sequestration has not been a part of the discussions which will ensue.
If there is not aimed at a deal.
The time for a deal is -- we're hearing a discussion over 1000000000400.
You know basically one trillion dollars in spending cuts.
Against.
Trillion dollars in tax hikes that seems to be the number one to one ratio.
And yet there is no -- -- it seems at least to all of us watching carefully.
There seems to be no pathway forward here to get sequestration handled the fiscal cliff handled that'll satisfy the members your caucus.
And the White House.
Well Lou I think we have to change our focus and and one of the things and I've always citi's this.
If you're trying to get a square pagan around -- you've got one of two choices.
It Iraq and take a hammer and try to drive it through and normally operates everything and so far that's what the president's been trying to do or can try to take the edge is often see (%expletive) get -- -- I still think we can make a fit for this but we need to stop trying to worry about whether we're gonna have a political win for the president's party or political I'll win for the Republican.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- What I'm worried -- is what's in the national interest here.
And the fact of the matter is -- -- utter irresponsibility.
On the part of the White House in frankly your caucus and the Democrats in the senate.
This is no way to run a nation regarded as by some still in this world superpower.
As a matter of fact it's down right powerful.
And Lou I think everybody we're not everybody but I think that's certainly would agree with you.
The things key thing we've got to remember though -- this a bad deal on the situation could be worse than no deal at all.
And it's important that we do try to make sure we get a deal but it needs to be the right deal that's not gonna make matters worse.
And I'm afraid if we raise these facts as they can actually make them worse.
Congressman Randy Forbes good to have you with us thank you -- -- up next.
