Boehner: Do As I Say, Not As I Vote

by: Natasha Chart

Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 15:30

Also in that appearance yesterday on CNN, Boehner said the following, finishing up by asking a very salient question:

BOEHNER: Well, I think if you look at the facts, we were the fighting -- we're the ones that brought the fight to make sure that we had executive compensation under control. As this money was being spent and the bill was moving through Congress, we're the ones putting -- Republicans putting the restraint on who would get bonuses and how much people would get paid.

BOEHNER: ... I just think it's time for the federal government to have an exit plan. How are we going to start to get the taxpayer money back out of these companies and back into the treasury and minimize the risk to American taxpayers? ...

Yes, how indeed can Congress start to get the taxpayer money back out of these companies and back into the treasury? Hmmm. Perhaps they could have introduced and voted on legislation like this 90% tax on bonuses at large financial institutions like AIG:

H R 1586      2/3 YEA-AND-NAY      19-Mar-2009      2:44 PM
     QUESTION:  On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass
     BILL TITLE: To impose an additional tax on bonuses received from certain TARP recipients.

Boehner was, shockingly, among the nays. Though he says it's only because it wasn't a 100% tax.