Boehner, Cantor urge Obama to force votes on spending cuts

In a closed-door meeting at the White House on Tuesday, House Republican leaders urged President Barack Obama to use his authority to force votes on numerous spending cuts.

Under a 1974 law, the president can submit a "rescission" order on funds that have already been appropriated. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) pledged that their party would supply the 88 votes necessary to force a floor vote on any specific rescission order the president submits.

Obama has proposed a three-year freeze on domestic discretionary spending, but Boehner and Cantor urged Obama to use his rescission authority to go further.

The suggestion came during a bipartisan meeting on jobs with President Obama.

In a separate statement, Boehner said that Congress needs to take action to reduce the long-term debt rather than delegate the issue to a bipartisan commission.

"We cannot afford to simply punt the spending issue to a commission that won’t even release its recommendations until the end of the year," Boehner said. "If President Obama will use his authority to force Congress to start cutting spending now, Republicans will stand with him and help him get it done.”‬‪

Rescission orders have been used somewhat sparingly. Since 1974, presidents have requested a total of $76 billion in rescissions. Congress has aproved just $25 billion. Even that amount wouldn't make much of a dent in the national debt.

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