because republicans won t raise taxes, tax rates on the wealthiest 2% of americans, would subject the average american to big tax increase and enormous damage from the other cuts that would happen. and there s just no reason why the country has to go through that. and we have a chance to do something much better. not just for the long-term health of the american economy, but for the immediate challenge which is getting stronger growth and more job creation. but you heard the president say today if there s no deal, are you going to blame the republicans for ruining christmas? the only thing that stands in the way of a deal right now is if a group of republican members decide they re going to block a deal because they want to extend tax cuts. we can t afford for the wealthiest 2% of americans. the president said on election night, you voted for politics, not action as usual. you re saying what we can expect from republicans. what can we expect from the president to break that cycle
wealthiest 2% of americans, would subject the average that i have shared with the american to big tax increase and white house, shared with boehner, shared with mcconnell, enormous damage from the other in order to move us beyond this cuts that would happen. silly debate that s taking and there s just no reason why the country has to go through place. the fact is, claire knows this that. and we have a chance to do and i know this. something much better. there are serious reforms that not just for the long-term have to take place in medicare health of the american economy, but for the immediate challenge for our country to become which is getting stronger growth solvent. well, we have to be careful. and you re right about this, and more job creation. but you heard the president david. what is really irresponsible, say today if there s no deal, that $716 billion, that was are you going to blame the republicans for ruining christmas? low-hanging fruit. that was fluff in the medicare
of last year with different cuts. on defense? liberals say there still should i know. be significant cuts to defense. but this deal is important enough that everybody ought to think it s important enough to people say that, but we ll look to the pentagon for what makes the most sense for the go only over. that s what we re waiting on national security needs are the now, the game of chicken to put country. but what we proposed top of the painful stuff out there. those $1 trillion savings of the president has put $600 billion in cuts out there. last year is $600 billion in he has said the tax increases detailed reforms to our health for the top 2%. care programs and other now it s time for us all maybe government programs that over 10 together to hold hands and say, years yield very substantial let s look at some of the things savings. again, david, republicans have we ve got to do structurally to said that they don t like those reforms. they d like to do more. get this fiscal clif
revenues, in a way that makes sense, and does make the very wealthy go back to a tax rate, by the way, in the 90s when we were raining jobs. had a lot of prosperity. that little bit in tax rate difference, i haven t talked to people in the business community that think that s a nonstarter. back in the 90s, you talk about president clinton s deal. there was a lot of reality there that was tough. first of all, the president believes that democrats ended up losing the house because of that deal. there were no republican votes in the house for that deal. and there were significant cuts to defense spending as part of that 1993 deal that everybody only remembers as raising taxes. i know. but this deal is important enough that everybody ought to think it s important enough to go only over. that s what we re waiting on now, the game of chicken to put the painful stuff out there. the president has put $600 billion in cuts out there. he has said the tax increases for the top 2%. now it s t
very difficult reforms over time alongside that. and alongside those changes and the savings from ending the wars do you specify spending cuts as part of this deal? detailed reforms that add up to $600 billion. i ll give you some examples. we are reforming farm subsidies. it makes a lot of sense. in health care, modestly increase premiums for high income beneficiaries of medicare. it makes sense. makes the government much smarter for how they buy medicine for people under medicare. those are just three examples. but there s $600 billion of examples in the president s proposals. if the republicans don t like those ideas, and they want to do it differently, they want to go beyond that, they have to tell us what makes sense for them. and then we can take a look at it. but what we can t do is figure out what makes sense for them. in terms of tax rates, in your mind, you don t have to go back to the clinton era tax rates for this to be a workable deal.