From the Associated Press:
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor pulled out of talks with Vice President Joe Biden on a deficit reduction-debt ceiling deal, saying they had reached an impasse over Democratic demands for tax increases to be paired with spending cuts wanted by the GOP.
The Virginia Republican said in a statement that the Republican-dominated House simply won’t support tax increases, and that he wouldn’t participate in the budget meeting scheduled for Thursday. Cantor said that it’s time for President Barack Obama to weigh in directly on the budget because Democrats insist on negotiating some tax increases.
A spokesman for Jon Kyl of Arizona, who’s representing Senate Republicans in the talks, said Kyl would not attend Thursday’s scheduled meeting either.
The moves seem aimed at drawing Obama more directly into the talks. Cantor expressed frustration earlier this week that the president had not been more involved. Whether the tactic generates hard feelings that could jeopardize an agreement remains to be seen.
There was no immediate reaction from either Biden or the White House, although Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid shrugged off Cantor’s announcement. “I’m disappointed that he would walk out, but obviously he felt he couldn’t do any more and wanted to kick it up to Boehner,” he said.
Officials have said repeatedly in recent days they expected that those involved in the Biden-led talks would turn their work over to Obama, House Speaker John Boehner and other congressional leaders by week’s end.
Read the whole thing here.
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