WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama appealed for cooperation to end the legislative gridlock as he met with House Republicans Wednesday. The closed meeting at the Capitol highlighted the differences between Republicans and the Democratic President on health care, energy production, and balancing the budget, participants said. "It was a very candid discussion," said Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, one of...
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama appealed for cooperation to end the legislative gridlock as he met with House Republicans Wednesday. The closed meeting at the Capitol highlighted the differences between Republicans and the Democratic President on health care, energy production, and balancing the budget, participants said.
"It was a very candid discussion," said Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, one of six GOP members chosen by leadership to ask the president questions during the free-wheeling discussion.
Despite the differences of opinion, Scalise said, both sides were cordial to each other. The meeting generated hope the two sides can work together, at least on some issues, said Scalise, leader of the House conservative caucus.
Scalise said during his questioning of the president he pointed to the importance of increasing energy production to increase jobs. He asked the president to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline, now that the State Department has issued a report not finding significant environmental obstacles.
Rep. Steve Scalise was one of six House Republicans who got to question President Barack Obama on Wednesday.
On this, Obama made some news. The president told Scalise he's close to making a decision, though he disputed as inflated the 25,000 jobs supporters say will be created by the project.
On energy, the president responded to Scalise by saying that production has increased under his administration. Scalise said he responded by saying that the credit rests with increased production on private, not federal land.
On the deficit, Scalise said he appealed for the president to work with Republicans to identify waste in the federal budget and eliminate it. Scalise said he told the president of a congressional report that found $26 billion in fraudulent food stamp payments.
Scalise also took a shot at the Affordable Care Act, beginning his question by saying he knows it's an issue the president has a significantly different position than Republicans do. Still, Scalise said he told the president that when he meets with small business owners back in Louisiana he's told that the single biggest impediment for adding new jobs is concern about the mandatory health coverage required for businesses with 50 or more workers.
Other Republicans agreed the meeting provided an opportunity for both the president and Republicans to clear the air on critical issues.
"I think he did himself some good by coming here," said Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., the chair of the House Budget Committee who, along with the panel's top Democrat, had lunch with the president last week.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said the discussion offered a "very frank and candid discussion of ideas" and was productive.
"We know, however, that there are some very real differences between our two parties," Boehner said. "Republicans want to balance the budget. The president doesn't."
The biggest dispute, however, is the president's call for a balanced deficit plan that combines spending cuts with new revenues by eliminating tax breaks for wealthy corporations and individuals. Scalise has said, as far as Republicans are concerned, there won't be anymore tax increases besides the $600 billion over 10 years generated early this year by legislation ending Bush tax cuts for households with incomes over $450,000.
The White House press office later issued a statement on the meeting attributed to an unnamed administration official.
"The President visited with the House Republican Conference on Capitol Hill this afternoon to discuss important proposals before Congress such as initiatives to create jobs, reform our immigration system, reduce gun violence, strengthen our cyber-security and pursue a balanced approach to deficit reduction. The President appreciated having the opportunity to meet with the Conference."
"He had a good, substantive exchange with members of the Conference and enjoyed the conversation. The President handled a variety of questions on a range of topics from the members and reinforced his strong desire, especially now that the election is over, to find bipartisan common ground on a range of legislative priorities. He noted that they did not need to resolve all policy differences to make progress on challenges facing the country where there is agreement."