House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, sent a warning to President Obama about his Wednesday speech on reducing the deficit that the GOP will not consider a tax hike.
"If the President is willing to offer serious proposals that grow our economy, preserve and protect programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, and set us on a path to pay down the national debt, we’re open to hearing them," Boehner said in a statement. "However, if the President begins the discussion by saying we must increase taxes on the American people – as his budget does – my response will be clear: tax increases are unacceptable and are a nonstarter."
Boehner and a bipartisan group of congressional leaders will meet with Obama prior to the speech, which the president will deliver at George Washington University.