GOP Rep.: Obama Raised Taxes In Fiscal Cliff Deal, Sequestration Is About Spending Cuts

By Susan Duclos

Finally the GOP politicians are learning to hammer home the message that Obama received his taxes increases in the fiscal cliff deal, $41 worth for every $1 in cuts and now the sequestration deal is about spending cuts, not taxes.

Via The Hill:

Deputy Majority Whip Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said Sunday that House Republicans would “absolutely” not accept new revenues as part of a deal to avoid the $85 billion in automatic cuts to the federal budget set to take effect in three weeks.

“Absolutely not,” Cole said on ABC News's "This Week." “The president accepted no spending cuts back in the ‘fiscal cliff’ deal 45 days ago, so you get no spending cuts back then, then you’re going to get no revenue now.”

Cole went on to say that the sense among Republicans was that they now held the leverage in negotiations, and felt no inclination to again open the issue of new revenues. Democrats, including President Obama, have called for a "balanced" package that would replace the sequester with a combination of spending cuts and closing tax code loopholes and deductions.

 

"Politically, Democrats are exactly where Republicans were six weeks ago. taxes were going up by law… now these cuts are going to happen by law, and it's a law the president signed," Cole said.

 

This is part of the messaging that Charles Krauthammer and others have been suggesting the GOP continue to push, repetitively, because cutting spending is an issue the public is behind the GOP on.

 

It is a message that resonates and a battle that can be won to help drive the economy to a more financially sustainable path.