House Republicans Call on Harry Reid and the Senate to Act ... >
July 15, 2014 - House Republican leaders held a media availability at Republican National Committee headquarters after the meeting of the House Republican Conference at the Capitol Hill Club next door.
Speaker John Boehner:
"You know the president couldn't help himself last week, bragging about how his so-called smart economic policies have worked.  But while the president was telling the American people everything was great, they're telling him it isn't.  Gas prices are higher.  Their food prices are higher.  Their health care costs are higher.  And more people dropped out of the job market than actually found a job.  The American people are still asking the question 'Where are the jobs?'  This week the House will pass a short-term highway bill fix.  The president has planned for a longer term highway bill; he ought to get the Democrat-controlled Senate to pass it, and we'll take a look at it, but until then giving speeches about a long term highway bill is frankly just more rhetoric.  Republicans are focused on the American people's priorities and that's jobs.  Instead of blocking the nearly 40 House passed jobs bills in the Senate, the president ought to call Harry Reid and suggest it's time to take a look at these bills to get our economy moving and help American families have a shot at a better job and higher wages." 
Majority Leader-elect Kevin McCarthy (R-CA):
"To make the country work, Americans believe Washington has to work.  There's no greater contrast in watching the House and the Senate.  Watch what's happening on the floor.  In the House we're bringing up our seventh approps. bills; in the Approps. Committee, they'll mark up their 11th of 12.  In the Senate, zero.  Then think of the process and how approps. bills are brought forward.  In the House, anybody can offer an amendment.  Let me give you a little number.  A hundred and sixty one.  A hundred and sixty one are the number of Democrat amendments that we have voted on.  Not the complete number that we have just accepted, but 161 amendments by Democrats we have voted on in the appropriation process.  In the Senate, they treat everybody fairly; they give no one an amendment 'cause they're not working.  We will work with anyone who will work.  The challenge is Harry Reid is not working.  The Senate is not working.  Another great contrast.  Nearly 300 bills from this House are sitting in the Senate.  If we want America to work again, if we want jobs to be created again, we expect Washington to work, but right now the Senate is not."
Majority Whip-elect Steve Scalise (R-LA):
"The quickest way to jumpstart our economy is American energy.  If you look at the regions of the country with the lowest unemployment, of those in the top ten, half of them are energy economies.  I'm proud to represent one of those, the Houma-Thibodaux area at 2.9% unemployment.  Someone can graduate from high school making over $60,000 a year working on an energy platform.  These are really good, high-paying jobs; these are great careers.  In just a few years you can be making over $100,000 a year providing American energy which brings billions of dollars into our economy and makes us energy independent as a nation and also lowers gas prices at the pump.  The American people realize that energy is the answer to getting our economy moving again quickly.  Unfortunately President Obama hasn't yet gotten that message and that's why the bills that we're bringing forward this week are critical to underscore the fact that energy creates jobs, energy creates independence for our nation, and energy is the answer for getting our economy moving again."
Chair of the House Republican Conference Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA):
"In Washington, DC its common to hear a lot of people talking, a lot of people giving great speeches.  In Eastern Washington what I hear from people as I listen to them is that they want more action, that they want solutions.  And they, what they see in their paychecks every month is that its either less take home pay because of rising health care costs, rising energy costs or they're living in fear of actually even losing their job and not being able to find a job.  That's the reality.  And in the House the Republicans have been leading and putting forward solutions, putting forward legislation that has passed the House with bipartisan support that would create more jobs, that would open up more energy opportunities in America, bring down health care costs, and yet it sits over in the Senate, and these bills are waiting.  We want solutions and the American people would like to see us act, would like to see the Senate act and get more jobs done like the Skills Act, like we're going to do on transportation.  But let's get Harry Reid and the Senate working."
Vice chair of the House Republican Conference Lynn Jenkins (R-KS): 
"...Senate Democrats have reason to be furious with Harry Reid.  In this Congress the Senate has blocked three out of every four bills that the House has sent them.  And while the President went on his latest campaign tour, the House was finalizing legislation to close the skills gap and connect Americans to jobs and passing another jobs bill to send to the Senate.  We want to get more work done here.  Kansans deserve that; Americans deserve that.  Which is why despite the rhetoric that has plagued Washington, the House will continue to focus on strengthening our economy and passing legislation to help Americans find good-paying jobs even if Harry Reid is committed to obstructing nearly everything we send him."
Boehner fielded a few questions. 
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A House working group on immigration led by Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) recently returned from a trip to Honduras and Guatemala, and their recommendations were presented to the Conference.  Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ), part of the working group, spoke to reporters outside after the media availability.  He mentioned a number of ideas including putting the National Guard on the border, adding judges, speeding up hearings, and addressing the root causes of the problem.  Salmon said President Obama "wants to just keep kicking the can down the road."  He said that securing the border between Guatemala and Mexico is one step that would make a big difference.