House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) made clear in a press release dated December 30, 2012, that "the House has passed legislation to avert the entire fiscal cliff," but "the president has never called for the Senate to act on these bills in any way." The House leadership, in a joint statement issued on December 26, specified that "the House has acted on two bills which collectively would avert the entire fiscal cliff if enacted ..." but, now, "the Senate must first act" on those House bills. Leadership repeated that "the lines of communication remain open."
Speaker Boehner, in his press release, went on to point out that Democrat President Barack Obama "has simply allowed the Democratic-controlled Senate to sit on" those pieces of House legislation.
While Democrats blame Republicans for the threat of 'going over' the fiscal cliff, Speaker Boehner explained that "needed [budget] cuts and reforms agreed to just last year were no longer on the table, as [the president] cited an inability to sell them to the Democrats." The president continues "to insist on a package skewed dramatically in favor of higher taxes that would destroy jobs."
It is neither the Republican-controlled House nor Republican leaders in general who have brought us to the point of going over the economic precipice. It is the president and the Democratic-controlled Senate that are leading our economy to the edge of the fiscal cliff.
Republican women must let leadership in the House and the Senate know our strong opinions in support of their stands. It is time for Harry Reid and the Democrats in the Senate to do the job they were elected to do. With the Republican-controlled House having sent fiscal cliff avoidance legislation to them, it is now the Senate's responsibility to act. Please contact leadership members and tell them of your support.
Senate
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
(202) 224-2541 Fax (202) 224-2499
Minority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX)
(202) 224-2934 Fax (202) 228-2856
Republican Conference Chair John Thune (R-S.D.)
(202) 224-2321 Fax (202) 228-5429
Republican Policy Committee Chair John Barrasso (R-WY)
(202) 224-6441 Fax (202) 224-1724
Ranking Member on the Budget Committee Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
(202) 224-4124 Fax (202) 224-3149
House
Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)
(202) 225-4146 Fax (202) 225-0704
Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA)
(202) 225-2815 Fax (202) 225-0011
Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)
(202) 225-2915 Fax (202) 225-2908
Republican Conference Chair Kathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)
(202) 22502006 Fax (202) 225-3392
