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Boehner ‘would welcome’ finding common ground

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) has said he’s willing to work with President Obama to find areas of compromise, where possible, if the GOP wins back the House.

NPR re-aired Boehner’s remaks Friday, a day after House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (Ind.) said “the time to go along and get along is over.” Boehner made the remaks to host Steve Inskeep about six months ago.

Boehner, the lawmaker who would likely become Speaker of the House under a GOP-controlled House, said that he thought voters wanted Republicans to at least try to find a way to work with Obama and Democrats on key issues.

“I think the American people want us to find a way to work together to address the concerns that face the American people every day. We’re going to drive for a smaller, less costly and more accountable government here in Washington, D.C.,” Boehner said in the rehashed remarks. “And to the extent that we can find common ground in that direction, I would welcome it.”

On Thursday, Boehner said that “it’s reasonable” to examine federal subsidies for NPR, which he called a “left-wing radio network.”

Republicans have wrestled with the extent to which they’d be able to find common ground with Obama on some of the key issues — like healthcare, spending, and taxes — that would face the next Congress. Electoral observers expect Republicans to be within striking distance of winning back the House, and, possibly, the Senate.


One of Boehner’s chief deputies — along with a series of other senior Republicans — said late this week that there was no room for compromise with Democrats.

Look, there will be no compromise on stopping runaway spending, deficits and debt. There will be no compromise on repealing Obamacare. There will be no compromise on stopping Democrats from growing government and raising taxes,” House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (Ind.) said Thursday evening. “And if I haven’t been clear enough yet, let me say again: No compromise.”

The White House has sent mixed signs about whether or not they could work with Republicans.

“We’ve had people in the Republican leadership on the House side warning their Republican followers to prepare for a government shutdown,” White House senior adviser David Axelrod told NPR. “That’s not an encouraging thing.”

Updated 7:27 pm.

Tags Boehner John Boehner

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