Biden, Boehner Trade Blows Over Economic Policy, Tax Cuts

POLITICS -- August 24, 2010 at 3:56 PM EDT

Biden, Boehner Trade Blows Over Economic Policy, Tax Cuts

House Minority Leader John Boehner and Vice President Joe Biden engaged in a war of words Tuesday over the Obama administration's efforts to revive the nation's economy.

In a speech to the City Club of Cleveland, Boehner called on President Obama to extend all the tax cuts passed under former President George W. Bush that are set to expire at the end of the year, including those for the wealthiest Americans.

"Raising taxes on families and small businesses during a recession is a recipe for disaster -- for both our economy and for our deficit," said Boehner.

At a Recovery Act event in Washington, Biden dismissed Boehner's plan to let the tax cuts on the wealthy remain in place. "We've seen this movie before, and we know how it ends. The American people deserve something different and something better," the vice president said.

Boehner also urged the president to ask for the resignations of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Lawrence Summers, director of the National Economic Council, and the other members of his economic team.

Biden responded sarcastically that Boehner's suggestion was "very constructive advice," adding, "[W]e thank the leader for that."

Looking toward November, Boehner pledged Republicans would govern differently if they capture a majority of seats in the House and he is elevated to speaker. The GOP leader said the party would keep taxes low and rein in government spending, but offered few specific policy ideas.

Biden said Boehner was "nostalgic for those good old days, but the American people are not."

The Democratic National Committee entered the fray as well, releasing a video accusing Boehner of wanting to return to the "Bush-era economic policies that nearly sank [the] economy."

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