WASHINGTON D.C. House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) took to the airwaves today appearing on morning drive-time radio shows in West Virginia Maine Detroit Oregon Tennessee New York and Missouri. Topics discussed included the Presidents speech in Egypt the House Republican proposal to save taxpayers $375 billion the GM bankruptcy agreement the national energy tax and healthcare reform.
Excerpts from the interviews follow:
On The Presidents Speech:
I share in the notion that we ought to put our best face forward in relations with our allies. I am still very concerned about the question of the Israeli/Palestinian issue vis-a-vie Iran. What I did not hear is enough emphasis on the root causes of what is going on in the Middle East and that is the sponsorship of terrorist activity by the regime in Iran." (WOR New York John Gambling)
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The President talked about Israel in terms of its activities on the settlement issue. My response is that Israel does what it must to secure its population. For decades it has been the victim of incoming rocket attacks and terrorist activities that is being fueled by financing and support by regimes in the region as well as other groups. That has to stop. If that stops if groups would put down their weapons there could begin a real process of peace. But there has been no recognition by the Palestinian people that there needs to be a Jewish state in the region." (WOR New York John Gambling)
On The Republican Proposal To Save Taxpayers $375 Billion:
Massive spending binges do no equal thoughtful or accountable reform. What Americans want what West Virginians want is a government that is accountable to the people. Just as families across West Virginia have to tighten their belt and face a tough economy Washington must do the same thats what the people of this country wants. What we are seeing is a tremendous amount of waste which is why Republican Leader John Boehner and I have sent a letter to President Obama offering suggestions on how we can save taxpayers in excess of $375 billion. That is the kind of action that the country wants to see they want to see the economy turn around an environment in which we can grow jobs again. The leadership has to start in Washington." (West Virginia Radio Hoppy Kercheval)
On The Economy & Jobs:
The most important issue right now is the economy and jobs. We ought to be focused on everything we can to regenerate economic investment and opportunity in Southeast Michigan and across this country. As all of us know investors have not jumped back into the game. Small business owners are having trouble keeping the lights on. The many that I speak to in my District in Richmond Virginia are having a lot of trouble. They cant even take home a paycheck right now. Theyre hearing from the community banks that they deal with that their lines of credit are going to be curtailed if not eliminated. Weve got to get something back on track in our financial markets so that we can see investment going on again." (WJR Detroit Paul Smith)
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The problem is what we are looking at happening here in Washington is an extraordinary amount of unaccounted for spending - $3.7 trillion worth of a budget this year. That caused the administration to send out some of its officials this past weekend to our creditor nations. Secretary Geithner was in China to try to make the case that America and Congress was going to get its act in order and we were going to begin to be accountable and trim the fiscal sails if you will. He was met with laughter. Weve got to really focus on the fact that we are going to headlong into inflation here and bringing about a very very dangerous situation economically especially if our goal is to create jobs. So we need to really really focus on that." (WJR Detroit Paul Smith)
On The Government Takeover Of GM:
Government has no business purchasing one of Americas largest car companies on behalf of the taxpayers. I have been opposed to this from the get go on the grounds that the White House stepped in and decided which investors were going to win and lose. They essentially suspended the law and cut off the rights of secured bond holders and then put the winnings into the unions hands the UAW." (WOR New York John Gambling)
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…What you have now is Congress beginning to say that we know what is best for Detroit and I know that I dont want Speaker Pelosi and Harry Reid designing the car that I drive and I dont think any New Yorker or any American does either. Washington the President Congress none of has any business running that car company - theyll run it into the ground." (WOR New York John Gambling)
On Healthcare Reform:
We are trying very hard to provide some balance in the discussion on healthcare because where the administration and many in Congress want to go is to inject the government in a much larger way into healthcare in this country. Republicans are working on solutions. Congressman Roy Blunt is heading up our healthcare working group and what is behind our proposal is an emphasis on what works in America. People like the ability to choose their doctor and to access timely and quality care. Moms like to be able to choose their Pediatricians folks like to be able to choose the specialists that they see. What we do not wish to see is a program like they have in the UK or Canada.
We need to make sure that we preserve what works and at the same time create a system that will enable the 47 million uninsured in this country to have some type of affordable access to quality care." (KMBZ Kansas City E.J. & Ellen)
On The National Energy Tax:
The focus right now should be on jobs. In Southwest Virginia just as in West Virginia we have thousands of people reliant on an active mining industry… One of the things that is so concerning to the mining industry is the cap and trade proposal that might come to the House floor this month which essentially will put the coal industry out of business and put a tax on working families of as much as $3000 per year that is obviously not economically attractive in this economy. (West Virginia Radio Hoppy Kercheval)
WASHINGTON D.C. House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) took to the airwaves today appearing on morning drive-time radio shows in West Virginia Maine Detroit Oregon Tennessee New York and Missouri. Topics discussed included the Presidents speech in Egypt the House Republican proposal to save taxpayers $375 billion the GM bankruptcy agreement the national energy tax and healthcare reform.
Excerpts from the interviews follow:
On The Presidents Speech:
I share in the notion that we ought to put our best face forward in relations with our allies. I am still very concerned about the question of the Israeli/Palestinian issue vis-a-vie Iran. What I did not hear is enough emphasis on the root causes of what is going on in the Middle East and that is the sponsorship of terrorist activity by the regime in Iran." (WOR New York John Gambling)
###
The President talked about Israel in terms of its activities on the settlement issue. My response is that Israel does what it must to secure its population. For decades it has been the victim of incoming rocket attacks and terrorist activities that is being fueled by financing and support by regimes in the region as well as other groups. That has to stop. If that stops if groups would put down their weapons there could begin a real process of peace. But there has been no recognition by the Palestinian people that there needs to be a Jewish state in the region." (WOR New York John Gambling)
On The Republican Proposal To Save Taxpayers $375 Billion:
Massive spending binges do no equal thoughtful or accountable reform. What Americans want what West Virginians want is a government that is accountable to the people. Just as families across West Virginia have to tighten their belt and face a tough economy Washington must do the same thats what the people of this country wants. What we are seeing is a tremendous amount of waste which is why Republican Leader John Boehner and I have sent a letter to President Obama offering suggestions on how we can save taxpayers in excess of $375 billion. That is the kind of action that the country wants to see they want to see the economy turn around an environment in which we can grow jobs again. The leadership has to start in Washington." (West Virginia Radio Hoppy Kercheval)
On The Economy & Jobs:
The most important issue right now is the economy and jobs. We ought to be focused on everything we can to regenerate economic investment and opportunity in Southeast Michigan and across this country. As all of us know investors have not jumped back into the game. Small business owners are having trouble keeping the lights on. The many that I speak to in my District in Richmond Virginia are having a lot of trouble. They cant even take home a paycheck right now. Theyre hearing from the community banks that they deal with that their lines of credit are going to be curtailed if not eliminated. Weve got to get something back on track in our financial markets so that we can see investment going on again." (WJR Detroit Paul Smith)
###
The problem is what we are looking at happening here in Washington is an extraordinary amount of unaccounted for spending - $3.7 trillion worth of a budget this year. That caused the administration to send out some of its officials this past weekend to our creditor nations. Secretary Geithner was in China to try to make the case that America and Congress was going to get its act in order and we were going to begin to be accountable and trim the fiscal sails if you will. He was met with laughter. Weve got to really focus on the fact that we are going to headlong into inflation here and bringing about a very very dangerous situation economically especially if our goal is to create jobs. So we need to really really focus on that." (WJR Detroit Paul Smith)
On The Government Takeover Of GM:
Government has no business purchasing one of Americas largest car companies on behalf of the taxpayers. I have been opposed to this from the get go on the grounds that the White House stepped in and decided which investors were going to win and lose. They essentially suspended the law and cut off the rights of secured bond holders and then put the winnings into the unions hands the UAW." (WOR New York John Gambling)
###
…What you have now is Congress beginning to say that we know what is best for Detroit and I know that I dont want Speaker Pelosi and Harry Reid designing the car that I drive and I dont think any New Yorker or any American does either. Washington the President Congress none of has any business running that car company - theyll run it into the ground." (WOR New York John Gambling)
On Healthcare Reform:
We are trying very hard to provide some balance in the discussion on healthcare because where the administration and many in Congress want to go is to inject the government in a much larger way into healthcare in this country. Republicans are working on solutions. Congressman Roy Blunt is heading up our healthcare working group and what is behind our proposal is an emphasis on what works in America. People like the ability to choose their doctor and to access timely and quality care. Moms like to be able to choose their Pediatricians folks like to be able to choose the specialists that they see. What we do not wish to see is a program like they have in the UK or Canada.
We need to make sure that we preserve what works and at the same time create a system that will enable the 47 million uninsured in this country to have some type of affordable access to quality care." (KMBZ Kansas City E.J. & Ellen)
On The National Energy Tax:
The focus right now should be on jobs. In Southwest Virginia just as in West Virginia we have thousands of people reliant on an active mining industry… One of the things that is so concerning to the mining industry is the cap and trade proposal that might come to the House floor this month which essentially will put the coal industry out of business and put a tax on working families of as much as $3000 per year that is obviously not economically attractive in this economy. (West Virginia Radio Hoppy Kercheval)
