Boehner calls for firing of Geithner, Summers

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today called on the Obama Administration to remove Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Economic Adviser Larry Summers. During a speech laying out an economic agenda for the GOP, Boehner said that Geithner and Summers have spent the last 19 months promoting ‘government as community organizer’ and that those policies “haven’t worked.” Covering a wide range of topics, Boehner also called on President Obama to extend the Bush Tax Cuts, freeze spending at the 2008 level, eliminate portions of Obamacare, and to veto bills that would increase taxes.

Boehner touched on some specifics during the speech, including tax cuts, Rep. Eric Cantor’s Free Trade proposal and repeal of the 1099 mandate in the health care bill. He said that “It’s time to put grown-ups in charge. It’s time for people willing to accept responsibility. It’s time to do what we say we’re going to do.” He said he is unafraid to say America has no money left, and tried to strike a tone of desperation about the deficit. He called out party leadership on both sides for “looking at the big issues, the tough issues, then looking away.”

Boehner also took on the Democrats for the possibility that they may attempt to pass the union “card check” bill or cap and trade bill during the lame duck session, saying that the failure to rule this out “compounds the ongoing economic uncertainty.” He applauded Rep. Paul Ryan for identifying $1.3 trillion in cuts, but did not mention Ryan’s Roadmap for America’s Future. He also highlighted the work of Indiana governor Mitch Daniels and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).

Democrats were prepared to respond to Boehner immediately. Ohio Democratic Chairman Chris Redfern immediately tied him to George Bush, which has become the Democrat’s usual plan of attack this cycle, calling Boehner Bush’s “best soldier.” Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI) said that the Republicans under Boehner have been “standing in the doorway” of economic progress. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) said that Boehner will only want to continue “Bush-era policies.”