Rep. John Boehner Tells TODAY: Tax Increases Are ‘Off The Table’

In an exclusive interview with NBC’s Matt Lauer on TODAY, House Speaker John Boehner said tax hikes are “off the table” as Republicans negotiate with the White House over extending the federal debt ceiling. “Everything else is on the table,” Boehner said.

Lauer asked the Speaker about a speech he gave Monday night in New York, saying he wants trillions of dollars in spending cuts as part of any deal to allow the government to continue borrowing past the current cap of $14.3 trillion. Boehner says it’s time to be “adults” about the nation’s debt, and that includes traditionally off-the-table spending programs like Medicare and Social Security–programs the Speaker says must be addressed because “they’re unaffordable for our kids and grandkids.”

Watch it here, from NBC:

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