John Boehner: If GOP Cuts Cause Federal Job Losses, 'So Be It'

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Tuesday that if Republican efforts to cut federal spending resulted in the loss of government jobs, "so be it."

At a press conference Tuesday, Politico reports that Boehner sought to justify his controversial statement by anchoring it to a highly inflated estimate of the number of federal employees.

"Over the last two years since President Obama has taken office, the federal government has added 200,000 new federal jobs," Boehner said, according to Politico. "If some of those jobs are lost in this, so be it. We're broke. It's time for us to get serious about how we're spending the nation's money."

As Politico points out, however, a Washington Post report from last year found that the number of executive-branch civilian workers had increased by only 20,000 since 2002, rising from 2.63 million to 2.65 million.

In the same press conference, Boehner also announced that the GOP would be willing to put all government programs "on the table" in the party's forthcoming budget proposal, which House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) later confirmed will include reductions in entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security.

Comments

[Congo Line]

05:01 AM on 03/01/2011

Waiting for the Tea Party to come out against this in protest.

Wait, Boehner's white? Oh, then nevermind...

[Winthorpe]

06:05 AM on 03/01/2011

Because I'm white, white baby. Extremely white, white baby.

Good stuff, fanned.

[mancoff]

01:14 PM on 02/17/2011

Hey Folks, surprise, surprise surprise. The Republican Leader of the Senate says, if you don't have job, so be it, that's the way the cookie crumbles. Basically what Republicans, to include the republicans in Congress and Republican Governors like Gov. Christie in New Jersey and the republican Governor of Wisconsis, are telling the middle class in this country is this: The country was in the ditch and stone cold broke after eight years of Bush rule and a republican administration. Obama inherited a country in a deep depression and country where job creation had been at a stand still for years and two wars had not been paid for. Now we Republicans want you the middle class and poor to take the hit for all of this, suck it up and suffer and give up ever being able to educate your children or have decent health care or even own a home. And in exchange for all of this, we want to do what we did the same thing we for eight years under Bush. We want to give tax breaks to the wealthy and Corporate fat cats. You middle class can do without affordable health care, good public schools, social security, medicare, whatever. In 10 years you folks will have lessened the horrendous deficit the republicans caused in the first place. Of course by then,most of you will have lost everything, will be impoverished and have undereducated adult children, tough luck. "so be it". Fat Cats Win again.

[imtheoz]

12:57 PM on 02/17/2011

Why is this news? Hasn't the official Republican position always been "who cares what happens to the working class as long as we can maintain corporate profits?"

[blinkthink]

10:18 AM on 02/17/2011

Boehner just said how the GOTP feels. They voted against bringing jobs back-fought it along with the Chamber of Commerce. They could care less how many people are unemployed. Proof of their agenda to control the wages for the corporations in this country is their attacks on the unions, which are happening all over this country.

Control, control, control the incomes of the American worker-keep the unemployment high, so people will work FOR MUCH LESS.

[boscobear]

09:16 AM on 02/17/2011

While Republicans think they have the support of voters, wait until they voters start to feel the pain from their decisions. I predict in the next elextion, Republicans will lose a significent number of seats, both nationally and locally.

[imtheoz]

12:58 PM on 02/17/2011

We have been "feeling the pain from their decisions" since the day Ronald Reagan was elected, yet people keep voting for Republicans. Why do you think this will change?

[mancoff]

01:40 PM on 02/17/2011

The voters in Wisconsin voted in the majority for a republican governor who threatens to turn the National Guard loose on them. So much for the "Don't tread on Me" crowd, it's one of their own that is doing all the heavy treading. New Jersey voted in a Republican Governor, who has made it clear, it's the little guy in his state that has to shut up and suck it up all in the name of fiscal responsibility. Easy for Christie to be tough, he obviously isn't missing any meals, lives comfortably, can afford to take the kids to DisneyWorld, and give them the best schooling, etc. Isn't it remarkable how "tough" politicians, well paid, well insured, feeling no pain, republicans in Congress can be when it comes to slashing the budget, slashing social programs, and quality public schools, repealing health reform and unemployment benefits, etc. Voters should take note of what the States who so readily voted republican in 2010 are now going through. Tell you what, I think every republican governor, and every republican in Congress, should have to take a cut in salary, pay for his own healthcare out of his pocket, give up the fat government retirement plan he currently gets and take the one he advocates for us, send his children to public schools in his district (no private schools) and only State schools for his college kids. Make republicans put their money where their mouth is and then see what they say.

[M33TBallz]

06:40 AM on 02/17/2011

Whenever I read his name my mind mispronounces it correctly. So be it.

[fatherkarras]

11:30 AM on 02/17/2011

What would be even more hilarious is if his first name would be Richard. "Dick Boehner". So be it.

[coloradodreaming]

06:23 AM on 02/17/2011

If John and the others are only working maybe 26 weeks per year with their cushy new schedule then it looks like the cost to the taxpayers will be around $7000.00 per week per house and senate reps. Looks pretty grand when you compare it to teachers, firemen, police, city, state and fed workers. Some of the new kids on the block can't make it on $7000 per week and can't afford to get housing in DC. Most of us would be excited about a job that pays decent wages, with bennies and two weeks vacation a year. Seems like we could pay 4 employees of state and federal government per House or Senate member and get a years work out of them. Look at what it cost us to keep these talking heads not working in the house and senate. I get furious every time I think about what it cost us in the last two years to hear, NO, NO WAY and now it is SO BE IT.

[mackr1945]

07:10 AM on 02/17/2011

I think they all should be paid by the hour. Let them punch a clock like I did all my working life. And lets start the new kids on the block at minium wage for their first term. No overtime either.

[imtheoz]

12:59 PM on 02/17/2011

You wouldn't get overtime for their twelve hour weeks anyway!

[fairplaystacy]

06:10 AM on 02/17/2011

Succor the wealthy
Sucker the workers

[1differentdrummer]

05:41 AM on 02/17/2011

Sure, what's a few more unemployed. On that subject, when will Boehner be unemployed?

[mackr1945]

07:05 AM on 02/17/2011

Not soon enough for my part...

[Dunkleberger Karl]

03:06 AM on 02/17/2011

Wow 30 days in Power and Mr BoeHner chooses to focus on abortion and getting jobs for OHIO!
While the rest of the nation suffer! MR Obama, do you know what draw they keep the veto PEN?
 
Hey John BoeHner , Where are the Jobs? Not the ones that prefex with knee or Blow!
 

[SuleaBogard]

02:52 AM on 02/17/2011

Wow. That's all I can say. Wow.

[HawaiiShira]

02:25 AM on 02/17/2011

Those words, Speaker Boehner, are going to come back to haunt you! SO BE IT!

[JFoxCPT]

01:40 AM on 02/17/2011

"So be it" sounds ice cold, like Ebenezer Scrooge in The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens saying: "If they'd rather die, then they had better do it and decrease the surplus population." Scrooge later experienced what people really suffered and his heart was changed.

What are your thoughts about that, John Boehner?

[Dunkleberger Karl]

03:10 AM on 02/17/2011

When John Cryer says Let them eat Kake, protesters should cry out in unison "so Be It"
It could become the battle cry for the republican's! Worked out prettywell for Marie Antoinette

[imtheoz]

01:01 PM on 02/17/2011

"Scrooge later experienced what people really suffered and his heart was changed." That is not really a good analogy...Scrooge had a heart, most Republicans don't!

[ElTommo]

01:28 AM on 02/17/2011

When called on his bullshit, Boehner countered with further bullshit! News at eleven!

[Dunkleberger Karl]

03:12 AM on 02/17/2011

Who said "dont tell lies tell Huge Lies! " some body in the 1920's in europe... could it Be?

[fran-pan]

01:16 AM on 02/17/2011

I wish the first job loss would be his.