Cuts on those earning more than two and a 50,000. Ed more than 250,000. [hail to the chief plays] please have a seat. Have a seat. Relax for a second. It is good to see all of you. Hello. It is good to be back in pennsylvania. It is good to be right here. I want to thank michael, robert, and the investor, Joel Glickman for hosting me today and giving me a great tour. Stand up so everybody can see you, guys. [cheers and applause] there you go. We have a couple of outstanding members of congress here. [cheers and applause] now, i just finished getting a tour of the workshop. I have to say it makes me wish that joel invented this stuff sooner when i was a kid. Back then, you couldnt build a roller coaster out of your erector set. I got a chance to meet some of the folks who have been working around the clock to keep up with the christmas rush. That is a good thing. These guys are santas extra elves. They manufacture almost 3000 pieces every minute. Every box that ends up on store shelves in 30 countries is stamped made in america. That is something to be proud of. [cheers and applause] by the way, i hope the camera folks have a chance to take a look at some of it. Including that flag. Joe biden was in costco and he wanted to buy some of this stuff. [laughter] i told him he had too much work to do. I was not going to have him building roller coasters all day long. Of course, santa delivers everywhere. I have been keeping my own list for washington. You should keep your eye on who gets some this year. There are going to be some members of congress who get them and some who dont. [applause] this is a wonderful time of year. It has been a few weeks since a long election finally came to an end. Obviously, i cannot be more honored to be back in the white house. But i am already missing the time that i spent on the campaign visiting towns like this and talking to folks like you. We love you. I love you back. [applause] one of the benefits of traveling and getting out of the white house is it gives you a chance to talk to the American People about what kind of country we want to be and what kind of country we want to leave to our kids. I believe america only thrives when we have a strong middle class. I believe we are at our best when everybody gets a chance to get ahead. We were talking about these guys dads. Just passed away at the age of 101. These guys have good genes in addition to inventive minds. The stories about businesses, hiring folks, making sure you can get ahead, that is what america is all about. That is at the heart of the plan that i have been talking about all year. I want to reward manufacturers and Small Businesses that createnot overseas. [applause] by the way, this is a company, one of the few companies in the toy industry, that aggressively moved jobs back here. That is a great story to tell. [applause] because we have the best workers in the world. And the most productive workers in the world. We need champions for american industry creating jobs here in the United States. I want to give more americans the chance to learn the skills that businesses are looking for right now, and i want to give our children the kind of education they need. I want to lead the world in research, technology, and clean energy. I want to put people back to work rebuilding our roads, bridges, and our schools. I want to do this by bringing down our deficits in a balanced and responsible way. [applause] we have important decisions to make. Our ultimate goal is to get our longterm deficits under control in a way that is balanced and fair, and that will be good for businesses, for future generations. I believe both parties can and will Work Together in the coming weeks to get that done. We know how that gets done. We will have to raise more revenue, cut out spending we do not need, building on the spending cuts we have already made, and if we combine those two things, which can create a path where america is paying its bills while being able to make investments in things we need to do like grow infrastructure. We know how to do it, but in washington nothing is easy, so there is kind to be some prolonged negotiations. All of us will have to get out of our companys films to make that happen. I am willing to do that and am hopeful that enough members of congress in both parties are willing to do that as well. We can solve these problems. But where the clock is really ticking right now, is on middle class taxes. At the end of the year, middle class taxes that are currently in place are set to expire. Middleclass tax cuts are set to expire. There are two things that can happen. If congress does nothing, every family in america will see their income taxes automatically the up on january 1. Every from every family will see their taxes go up on january 1. I assume that does not sound too good to you. That is like dell lump of coal you would get for christmas. A typical middle class family of four would see their income taxes go up by about 2,200. Thats for a typical family. It would be more for some folks. Thats money a lot of families just cant afford to lose. Thats less money to buy gas, less money to buy groceries. In some cases, it means tougher choices between paying the rent and saving for college. It means less money to buy more kinex. Just the other day, economists said if income taxes go up on the middle class, people will spend nearly 200 billion less in scores and on line. In stores and online. And when folks are buying fewer not good for our businesses. Its not good for our economy. Its not good for employment. Thats one path. Congress does nothing, we dont deal with this looming tax hike on middle class families, and gets hit with this big tax hike and businesses suddenly see fewer customers, less demand, the economy, which weve been fighting for four years to get out of this, you know, incredible economic crisis that we have, it starts stalling again. So thats one path. The good news is theres a second option. Right now congress can pass a law that would prevent a tax hike on the first 250,000 of everybodys income. Everybody. So that means 98 of americans, 97 of Small Businesses wouldnt see their income taxes go up by a single dime, right . Because 98 of americans make 250,000 a year or less. 97 of Small Businesses make 250,000 a year or less. So if you say income taxes dont go up, income above 250,000, the vast majority of americans, they dont see a tax hike. But heres the thing, even the top 2 , even folks who make more than 250,000, they still keep their tax cut on the first 250,000 of income. So it would still be better off for them, too, for us to go ahead and get that done. Families would have a sense of security going into the new year. Companies like this one would know what to expect in terms of planning for next year and the year after. That means peoples jobs would be secure. The sooner Congress Gets this done, the sooner our economy will get a boost. And it would then give us in washington more time to Work Together on that long range plan to bring down deficits in a balanced way. Tax reform, working on entitlements, and asking the wealthiest americans to pay a little bit more so we can keep investing in things like education and research that make us strong. All right . So those are the choices that we have. And understand this was a central question in the election, maybe the central question in the election. You remember. We talked about this a lot. [laughter] it wasnt like this should come to anybodys as a surprise to anybody. We had debates about it. There were a lot of tv commercials about it. And at the end of the day, a clear majority of americans, democrats, republicans, independents, they agreed with a balanced approach to deficit reduction and making sure that middle class taxes dont go up. Folks agreed to that. Now, the good news is were starting to see a few republicans coming around to it, too. Im talking about republicans in congress. So the reason im here is because i want the American People to urge congress soon, in the next week, the next two weeks, to begin the work we have by doing what we all agree on. Both parties agree that we should extend the middle class tax cuts. Weve got some disagreements about the highend tax cuts, right . Republicans dont want to raise taxes on folks like me. I think i can pay a little bit more to make sure that kids can go to college and we can build roads and invest in n. I. H. So that were finding cures for alzheimers. And thats a disagreement that were going to have and we got to sort out. We say we want to make sure middle class taxes dont go up. So lets get that done. Lets go ahead and take the fear out for the vast majority of American Families so they dont have to worry about 2,000 coming out of their pockets starting next year. The senate has already passed a bill to keep income taxes from going up on middle class families. Thats already passed the senate. Your members of congress, like alison and other democrats in the house, theyre ready to go. Theyre ready to vote on that same thing. And if we can just get a few House Republicans onboard, we can pass the bill in the house. It will land on my desk, and i am ready. Ive got a bunch of pens ready to sign this bill. Im ready to sign. [applause] ready to sign it. There are no shortage of pens in the white house. And i carry one around for an emergency, just in case. Just waiting for the chance to use it to sign this bill to make sure peoples taxes dont go up. Well, dont thank me yet because i havent signed it. I need i need some help from congress. So the key is though, the American People have to be involved. You know, its not going to be enough for me to just do this on my own. So im hopeful that both sides are going to come together and do the right thing. But we all know you cant take anything for granted when it comes to washington. Lets face it. And thats why im going to be asking for all of you to make your voices heard over the next few days and the next couple of weeks. I need you to remind members of congress, democrats and republicans, to not get bogged down in a bunch of partisan bickering, but lets go ahead and focus on the people who sent us to washington and make sure that were doing the right thing by them. So i want you to call. I want you to send an email. Post on their facebook wall. If you tweet, then use a hash tag were calling my 2k. Not y2k. My 2 k. Because its about your two k in your pocket. Were trying to burn that into peoples minds. [applause] part. Im meeting with every Constituency Group out there. Were talking to c. E. O. s. Were talking to labor groups. Were talking to civic groups. Im talking to, you know, media outlets, just explaining to the American People this is not that complicated. Lets make sure that middle class taxes dont go up. Lets get that done in the next couple of weeks. Lets also Work Together on a fair and balanced, responsible plan so that we are paying our bills. You know, were not spending on things we dont need, but we are still spending on the things that make us grow. Thats the kind of fair, balanced, responsible plan that i talked about during the campaign, and thats what the majority of americans believe in. So, im hopeful, but im going to need folks like you and the in pennsylvania and all across the country to get this done. And a lot is riding on this debate. This is too important to our economy, its too important for our families to not get it done. And its not its not acceptable to me, and i dont its acceptable to you, for just a handful of republicans in congress to hold middle class they dont want tax rates onall right . That doesnt make sense. [applause] if your voices are heard, then we can help businesses like this one. Were going to sell a whole bunch. Lets [applause] lets give families all across america the kind of security and certainty that they deserve during the holiday season. Lets keep our economy on the right track. Lets stand up for the american belief that each of us have our own dreams and aspirations, but were also in this together. And we can Work Together in a responsible way. That were one people. And were one nation. Thats what this country is about. Thats what all of you deserve. Thats what im fighting for every single day. And i will keep fighting for as long as i have the privilege of being your president. Thank you very much, everybody. God bless you. God bless america. [stars and stripes forever plays] Washington Post pl ays] House Speaker john boehner held his own meeting on the fiscal cliff negotiations. This is close to 10 minutes. Good afternoon, everyone. The president traveled to pennsylvania to visit a Small Business today to talk about the fiscal cliff. Unfortunately, its the president and members of his own party who were proposing that we let many Small Businesses, as in hundreds of thousands of them, go over the fiscal cliff. Simply put, thats why we dont have an agreement as yet. They said yesterday this is not a game. I used to be a Small Business owner. Small Business Owners are regular men and women from all backgrounds who, in todays economy, are facing challenges on a daily basis. And the president s tax increase would be another crippling blow for them while doing little to nothing to solve the bigger problem here, which is our National Deficit and our national this debt doesnt exist because we dont tax Small Businesses enough. It exists because washington continues to spend too much. Raising taxes on Small Businesses instead of taking a balanced approach that also cuts spending is wrong. Its only going to make it harder for our economy to grow. And if our economy doesnt grow, americans dont get new jobs. And the debt problem that we have will continue to threaten our childrens future. As i said the day after the election, republicans are not the president. Were seeking a bipartisan solution that can pass both chambers of congress and be signed into law by the president in the coming days. Now, during the campaign, the president pledged to the American People that he would seek a balanced approach to addressing the debt, a combination of new revenues and spending cuts. So the day after the election, i said the republican majority would accept new revenue as part of a balanced approach that includes real spending cuts and reforms. Now, the white house took three weeks to respond with any kind of a proposal, and much to my disappointment, it wasnt a serious one. Still, im willing to move forward in good faith. Our original framework still stands. Instead of raising tax rates, we can produce similar amount of revenue, reforming the tax code to close loopholes and lower tax rates. Thats far better for the economy, and the American People actually favor that approach by two to one. They favor it even more when we can also show them that real spending cuts will, in fact, reduce the deficit. Now, there have been many conversations over the last couple of years that could inform a solution. I hope the president will draw from those discussions and work with both parties to find common ground. Solving the fiscal cliff in a manner that addresses the true drivers of our debt and saves american jobs is a great way for the president to start his second term. And for the good of our country, and my colleagues, were ready to work with the president to achieve those goals. Mr. Speaker, couple things. First, on the issue of tax rates, are you willing to accept no deal that includes some increase in those top tax rates . And im also wondering what our final deadline is on this . When do we really have to have a deal . Increasing tax rates draws money away from our economy that needs to be invested in our economy to put the American People back to work. Its the wrong approach. Were willing to put revenues on the table, but revenues that come from closing loopholes, getting rid of special Interest Deductions, and not raising rates. We think its better for the economy. Pure and simple. Secondly, the American People expect us to find common ground, to Work Together, and to resolve this. And frankly, sooner is better than later. Youve been doing this for a long time. The past 24 hours, is this the necessary public posturing that needs to go on or is there a serious stalemate right now . Theres a stalemate. Lets not kid ourselves. Im not trying to make this more difficult. If youve watched me in the last three weeks, ive been very guarded because i dont want to make it harder for me or the president or members of both parties to be able to find common ground. But when when i come out the day after the election and make it clear that republicans will put revenue on the table, i took a great risk. And then the white house spends three weeks trying to develop a proposal, and they send one up here that calls for 1. 6 trillion in new taxes, calls for a little not even 400 billion in cuts, and they want to have this extra spending thats actually greater than the amount theyre willing to cut. I mean, its its it was not a serious proposal. And so right now were almost nowhere. Do you expect to speak to the president again . Are there meetings scheduled between you and the president . A lot of ideas have been put on the table. Weve had conversations, and im sure well continue to have conversations. Do you think the white house is trying to squeeze you . And if so, will that work . Listen, most of you know me pretty well. What you see is what you get. I may be affable, someone that can work with members of both parties, which ive demonstrated over the 22 years that ive been here. Ive also rather determined to solve our spending problem. And to solve this looming debt crisis that is about to consume us. What is it that republicans want on reform . You keep saying the president needs to show the democrats hand on this. What do you want to do in terms of medicare and how quickly do you want those implemented . Well, you can look at our budget from the last two years, and there are plenty of specific proposals, most of which were part of the conversat