Boehner Op-Ed: Obama Can't Continue to Ignore Debt

The national debt, which has grown significantly under President Barack Obama, continues to be a drain on the economy and a drag on job creation, House Speaker John Boehner writes in an op-ed in USA Today.
 

“Last month, a USA Today editorial called our debt and deficits ‘an increasingly urgent national crisis.’ It is, and one we cannot ignore,” Boehner, R-Ohio, wrote. “Unfortunately, inaction is exactly what the president and members of his party have in mind. They went into a state of panic recently when I said we should talk about — and yes, actually solve — the debt problem that's hurting our economy.
There have even been suggestions that these calls for action to heal our economy are somehow designed to do it harm.”

Boehner noted that last year Standard & Poor's downgraded the nation's credit rating because the budget agreement between the president and Congress fell short of the amount necessary to stabilize the debt burden.

The House speaker said stalled when the two sides were on the verge of a breakthrough agreement because President Barack Obama “lost his courage” and “could not resist political pressure to push for tax hikes on small-business job creators.”

“Since then, the president has been in campaign mode — playing small ball at a time when we need to address big challenges,” Boehner said. “Until we get a grip on our debt, our economy will continue to suffer and we run the risk of another downgrade, which will make job creation ever harder. Americans deserve a better economic future and an administration willing to tackle this debt crisis before it tackles us.”