Nov. 7, 2012

Washington, D.C. – The following is a statement by Bipartisan Policy Center Senior Director Steve Bell regarding Speaker John Boehner’s speech today:

“Today’s speech by House Speaker John Boehner is a promising start to the lame duck session of the 112th Congress. We are encouraged that leaders from both parties have acknowledged that going off the fiscal cliff must be avoided. Now is the time for real negotiations. We can no longer afford political games. Speaker Boehner has signaled an opening for a possible bipartisan compromise, which we hope will lead to a large debt stabilization package in 2013.

“While we know that a large debt reduction package similar to the one that we have proposed cannot be accomplished in the lame duck, we continue to believe that using a framework along those lines will allow for a down payment and would give the 113th Congress strong incentives to enact a very substantial tax and spending reform plan early next year. The Bipartisan Policy Center continues to believe that the first priority of the lame duck session should be to avoid the fiscal cliff, and enact a procedural framework that includes a substantial down payment on our nation’s debt.”

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Economic Policy Project