GOP gives cold shoulder to Obama’s new deficit group

The Speaker indicated Obama’s proposal for talks was not
received warmly when he broached it Wednesday at a White House meeting.

“I don’t know how they’re going to proceed,” Boehner said.
“I don’t think anyone around the table yesterday reacted very well to setting
up a 16-member commission to have this conversation. They seemed to take that
into account.”

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Thursday he has “no idea” if he is going to join the “Biden commission.” 

He said Obama should have followed normal procedures and produced a budget plan that tackled the deficit in February, instead of delegating the problem once again.

“The president disavowed his last commisssion…what is he going to do with this one,” Ryan said. ” “Why don’t we just do our jobs,” he said.

Boehner also dismissed the president’s refusal to sign an
extension of current tax rates for Americans earning more than $250,000 a year.
“I heard that a year ago, and he did,” Boehner said. “Raising taxes on the very
people we expect to invest in our economy and create jobs is the wrong move.
Washington does not have a revenue problem. Washington has a spending problem.”

Obama’s proposal would include representatives from the
minority parties in the House and Senate, who were not involved in talks on a
spending deal for the rest of the 2011 fiscal year.

The No. 2 Senate Republican, Sen. Jon Kyl (Ariz.) told The
Hill on Wednesday that there would be negotiations between congressional
leaders and the administrations, but he said the details have not been set.
“Exactly how that is set up has yet to be determined. But yes, we will be
talking,” he said.

Erik Wasson contributed to this story.