Tom Price: The U.S. House needs ‘red state’ leadership
Hours before New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie tore into House Speaker John Boehner for pulling the plug on Hurricane Sandy aid, a Georgia congressman was getting his licks in from the GOP right.
U.S. Rep. Tom Price was on WMAL in Washington this morning, a conservative talk-radio station aimed at the D.C. elite, to discuss Tuesday’s House vote on the fiscal cliff.
Price voted against the measure and his speaker – as did every GOP member of the House from Georgia. But Price, who becomes vice-chairman of the House Budget Committee in the next Congress, is undoubtedly the most ambitious member of the Georgia delegation. And Boehner is up for re-election tomorrow.
Listen to Price’s interview in full here:
A truncated transcript follows:
Price: “At the end of the day these kinds of bills are never all good or all bad. My assessment was that it ultimately raised taxes and didn’t decrease any spending. In fact it increased spending.”
WMAL: “You voted against your speaker of the House.”
Price: “The vote is really fascinating. If you look at the votes that were ‘yes’ on the Republican side – there were 85 of them. Seventy of them come from blue states. I really think, and I’ve been talking about this for a couple months now. I think this is a red state-blue state issue.
“When we were talking about previous ‘solutions,’ it really broke down in our conference between Republicans who are from red states and those who are from blue states. It’s a different conversation that we need to have within our own conference as we move forward with the kind of positive solutions that I think are out there.”
WMAL: “Is there a leadership crisis within the Republican caucus?”
Price: “I don’t think so….
“At some point, you have to draw a line in the sand, and we have been unwilling as a conference to do that. I think that’s where we will come out of this debate and out of this process, recognizing that the president has not been an honest broker and has not been willing to put any spending reductions on the table….”
WMAL: “You’re saying this is a red-state, blue-state issue. We’ve got leadership from blue states. You’re from a red state. You’re saying, yes, we do need to draw a line in the sand….There needs to be a change here in the party, doesn’t there?”
Price: “I think you will see a significant change in perspective and a significant change in strategy, and it will come from the maturation of the now-sophomore class, of the 87 new folks who came last year, and the 37 new folks who are coming to the Republican conference right now….”
WMAL: “We’ve heard there are 20 or more Republicans who are willing to block the speaker’s election tomorrow. Have you heard anything about that?”
Price: “I don’t know anything about that.”WMAL: “If something happens, would you be willing to step forward? A lot of people have mentioned your name.”
Price: “This palace intrigue is wonderful for these discussions, but the fact of the matter is, what we need to do is to get down to business and get spending under control in this country…”
WMAL: “You didn’t answer the question….”
Price: “I think we need red-state representation in both our leadership as well as the organizing committees that we have.”
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
173 comments Add your comment
WOW
January 2nd, 2013
5:14 pm
@ Retired Soldier:
You must have missed those campaign disclosure forms from the Presidential Election. Just for fun look at the total number of donors, then look at small donors (you can pick what you call small under $500 or so) for Obama and Romney vs the number of maxed donors. Then tell us again who is the party of big business?
Rick in Grayson
January 2nd, 2013
5:15 pm
STOP THE SPENDING! We can’t pay our bills and haven’t for two decades.
Obama is still adding additional spending and we can’t pay for it. When are we going to start paying back our debts?
Oh…that would be the job/burden we have placed on our children who won’t be able to get jobs in the new global economy.
early to bed
January 2nd, 2013
5:15 pm
MB so the free ride for the past 12 years with the bush tax cuts did not cost us? Did not add hugely to the deficit when putting 2 wars in the credit card? Of course we have had a revenue problem with 2 wars and those tax cuts.
Real Athens
January 2nd, 2013
5:17 pm
RU:
Absofreakinglutely. We have non-partisan, local elections in Athens. They were called for by and ushered in by the relatively silent, GOP.
It didn’t improve their chances of getting elected.
As a result, the GOP leadership passed GA House Bill 158 which takes all non-partisan races off the General Election ballot (held on the first Tuesday in November) in consolidated local governments and places them on the General Primary Ballot in July.
Can anyone say “vote suppression”?
WIth “Citizens United” though non partisan elections run the risk of elections becoming “blindfolded public relations contests where the person with the best smile, and probably the most money, wins”.
Peter
January 2nd, 2013
5:19 pm
It’s a shame that some people are still holding onto that cracked out conspiracy theory.
YUP and how many Republican’s still beleive the Cheney Lie… Bin Laden and Saddam were working together…..?
honested
January 2nd, 2013
5:23 pm
MB,
‘inadequate revenue was not the problem’….
REALLY?
For a dozen years and adding in two unfunded wars and the costs of building the biggest domestic security apparatus since the Soviet Union?
No part of this equation stands alone. We not only need more revenue now, we need adequate total revenue to make up for the LOST DOZEN YEARS.
And then we need to cut military spending, massively!!
I’m sure Congress can count on your vote for that!
SB in ATL
January 2nd, 2013
5:31 pm
Tom Price is just another crook who imagines himself as ‘Emperor’. He is also protected by the gerrymandered districts that our ‘wonderful’ state legislature has built. I wouldn’t trust or vote for him for dog catcher. He makes me sick! We don’t need more of him…we need less.
I am highly in favor of term limits and get all the buffoons in Congress out! Any takers?
Kirs
January 2nd, 2013
5:36 pm
SB…”I am highly in favor of term limits and get all the buffoons in Congress out! Any takers?”
I’m in….
term limits and add RECALLS.
Pizzaman
January 2nd, 2013
5:37 pm
We need strict enforcement of the Constitution, especially Article 1, Section 2, Para 2 which states “……and, who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen”.
This means Price should be representing another State. Pretty smart, the Founders. The Senate, members appointed by the Governor till the 17th amendment, worried about the State. The House, not serving the State from which he shall be chosen, worried about the Country. Why aren’t we doing it that way?
Road Scholar
January 2nd, 2013
5:39 pm
Maybe we should give Price and his red state cohorts their wish….cut all entitlements in red states? Esp since the red states have the higher dependency on welfare!
honested
January 2nd, 2013
5:49 pm
tom price is not a man to be held back by reality!
Step forward and run for speaker…….it will be just like t-ball.
clem
January 2nd, 2013
5:51 pm
oh fine job john bolton, hannity, ingraham, west, gimp, etc on clinton feigned illness.
MiltonMan
January 2nd, 2013
5:54 pm
Give them hell Dr. Price!
MiltonMan
January 2nd, 2013
5:55 pm
“Maybe we should give Price and his red state cohorts their wish….cut all entitlements in red states? Esp since the red states have the higher dependency on welfare!”
That dependency comes from the scumbag liberals in the red states. Guess who gets the most aid in Georgia – none other than liberal hell holes like DeKalb, Clayton, South Fulton.
Tap Out
January 2nd, 2013
5:56 pm
If we can vote out the Ga. Gop in the next cycle, there’s a chance it will take the state less than a decade to recover from their rule.
td
January 2nd, 2013
6:00 pm
Tap Out
January 2nd, 2013
5:56 pm
Dream on my friend.
td
January 2nd, 2013
6:02 pm
Tap Out
January 2nd, 2013
5:56 pm
If this nation does not wake up in two years and throw out a great deal more progressives in Congress then the nation may be lost forever.
yuzeyurbrane
January 2nd, 2013
6:02 pm
I for one think Price should put his money where his mouth is. If he dislikes the present Speaker’s performance and thinks he can do better, he should run for the job. He won’t. Price is like the kid who was always talking about others behind their backs to manipulate others to do his dirty work.
honested
January 2nd, 2013
6:10 pm
Think Fast, since price has been there for a few cycles and feels he should somehow be qualified as
‘leadership material’, somebody enlighten me to ANY TWO of his grand legislative accomplishments?
I’ve got time.
midtownguy
January 2nd, 2013
6:14 pm
If they elect Red State Leadership the GOP will go down just like ‘Ole DIxie. We live in an Urban-Blue Country. Not enough rural conservatives to control anything.
nathan's political arsonist
January 2nd, 2013
6:14 pm
price is one of the team of ga gop embarassments, a more intelligent gene pool will do wonders for this state
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
January 2nd, 2013
6:15 pm
What a boob. Spelling aside, any fool could have found out that in 2011 the STATE of Michigan had a higher GDP than the COUNTRY of Greece.
Wow, a higher GPD than Greece and it only took a federal bailout to make it happen.
Aren’t we impressed?
nathan's political arsonist
January 2nd, 2013
6:16 pm
milton man and td are the same person
Voter
January 2nd, 2013
6:17 pm
@honested-”Think Fast, since price has been there for a few cycles and feels he should somehow be qualified as
‘leadership material’, somebody enlighten me to ANY TWO of his grand legislative accomplishments?
I’ve got time.”
lol..so funny, please enlighten us to obozo bin biden’s grand legislative accomplisments or any political experience he had to run for president? And it shows!
Bobby
January 2nd, 2013
6:20 pm
Red States with politicians such as Price have no “leadership” qualities. Price and the entire Georgia GOP gang is just that – a “thug” gang with no interest in governing. They have their own political agenda based on their ability to stay in office and mooch off of tax payers. And isn’t it interesting the red states mooch more than the blue states off of citizens.
Roswell Resident
January 2nd, 2013
6:22 pm
Honested – You’re exactly right. Price doesn’t have any legislative accomplishments. He’s not a leader, he’s a follower. He would be a terrible speaker. What efforts did he make to prevent the fiscal cliff? None. He voted against the compromise bill. He represents a super-conservative district, always votes the party line, and does nothing to govern or lead. Nice work if you can get it. I won’t vote for him again.
Hootie
January 2nd, 2013
6:22 pm
Anyone thinking Price or anyone else besides the current Speak will be SOTH probably thought Romney was going to win last month.
packing
January 2nd, 2013
6:22 pm
start packing all republicans must go
Bobby
January 2nd, 2013
6:23 pm
The GOP has done as much damage to this country economically as the terrorists who flew the planes into the Twin Towers and Pentagon. There is no difference between Price and any other terrorist extremist.
bookman parrot
January 2nd, 2013
6:23 pm
to United States
January 2nd, 2013
3:35 pm
It would be great to be “united”, but the demonstrated ideology and actions that most libs and their Dem pawns in political power, especially the great one in the white house, espouse show zero concern for anyone that does not bow to that “flavor”. I.e. 52% are holding 48% hostage and that 52% does not give a damn about the 48% and the 52% is not one bit interested in compromise, tolerance, etc…
Voter
January 2nd, 2013
6:25 pm
@Bobby – “thug gang”
Great description of the Democrats also. They just “blackmailed” and pushed thru a worthless piece of legislation by telling the weak sisters in Congress that if they don’t vote yay, they would pay for it politically. So who are the real thugs here?
DJ Sniper
January 2nd, 2013
6:26 pm
Nice attempt to spin that fact MiltonMan.
bookman parrot
January 2nd, 2013
6:28 pm
to Bobby at 6:23pm; you seem to forget that the Dems have had great power in Congress for along time now … i think i would fall over from shock if a dem/lib ever took responsibility for anything… and that liberal theology of “gimme gimme gimme” entitlement has led huge deficit and to the housing bubble and that the housing bubble contributed greatly to the recession
but but but … it is all Bush’s fault… got that outta the way for ya
Voter
January 2nd, 2013
6:28 pm
@Bobby – “The GOP has done as much damage to this country economically as the terrorists who flew the planes into the Twin Towers and Pentagon. There is no difference between Price and any other terrorist extremist.”
Again another great decription of the Democrats and obozo bin biden. I suppose the so called “fiscal cliff” was Bush’s fault. lol
Voter
January 2nd, 2013
6:30 pm
@Bobby – get informed and stop towing the liberal line. You need meds quickly.
Voter
January 2nd, 2013
6:33 pm
@bookman parrot – Well said
early to bed
January 2nd, 2013
6:51 pm
MiltonMan were you born racist or simply evolve?
Political Man
January 2nd, 2013
6:55 pm
The idea that Republicans are the party of the little guy and small business is ludicrous. Of course, if one wants to define the little guy as those making $1M a year, then they most assuredly are. On issue after issue, Republicans favor policies where the little guy takes it on the chin. Of course, their policies are usually described as maximizing freedom, but on close examination it is always the freedom of the rich and business that wins out at costs to the rest of us.
Voter
January 2nd, 2013
7:05 pm
@Political Man – Blah blah blah. I’m sure ALL millionaires are Republican’s because not one Democrat could ever make a million dollars a year. Or are you saying all Democrats are part of the 47% entitlement crowd, welfare, foodstamps, assisted living, free cell phones,etc?
GOP Doctor Demagogue
January 2nd, 2013
7:11 pm
What we need is a cracked goober plutocracy.
We sure got enough representation from crazy land ‘leaders’ in the Georgia delegation. Maybe with South Carolina’s delegates, these red statesmen can learn how hard it it to actually accomplish some of governments goals when most of your minions are just operating on greed and bad information. They think everyone is everyone is on welfare but them.
Maybe Tom and Lindsey can muster up enough courage to come out, too. They aren’t hiding it very well…
Real Athens
January 2nd, 2013
7:14 pm
“Wow, a higher GPD than Greece and it only took a federal bailout to make it happen.”
I’m sorry, if you truly believe your hyperbole, you are a fool.
Talk is cheap. You need to get out more.
hiram
January 2nd, 2013
7:17 pm
td/cc/voter = “The Three Faces of Eve”? Multiple personality disorder, or schizophrenia?
Voter
January 2nd, 2013
7:19 pm
@hiram – Sticks and Stones. Where are your facts? You actually think this bill is a good thing?
Voter
January 2nd, 2013
7:23 pm
@hiram – are an even better question? You think this administration or Congress has done anything good in the past 4 years?
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
January 2nd, 2013
7:50 pm
Yeah, that whole auto bailout thingee never happened, did it, RA?
innerjuju
January 2nd, 2013
7:58 pm
“Red State leadership”? Are you kidding? If this didn’t teach these guys that what we need is the ability to show leadership through bipartisan compromise, what does? No party has the monopoly on being correct nor should either side hold the country hostage for 100% of what they want. Compromise leads to the best for the majority of Americans. Where did that concept get lost?
hiram
January 2nd, 2013
7:58 pm
td/cc/voter,
“You’re travelling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination – Next stop, the Twilight Zone!”
You need help.
td
January 2nd, 2013
8:04 pm
hiram
January 2nd, 2013
7:58 pm
You just can not believe that there are at least 3 good conservatives on this blog. It is driving you crazy that your Obama loving opinions can not be the only voice on the blog.
Serious Robuck
January 2nd, 2013
8:20 pm
So, when Sonny Perdue became Governor, Georgia ranked 25th among the states in per capita income. Not bad for a confederate backwater that had prospered under Carter/Busbee/Miller/Barnes leadership. (Remember, winguts, Miller drank the right wing koolaid only after he got to Washington and came under the spell of Phil Gramm.)
Now, after 10 years of Republican rule, Georgia is 39th among the states in per capita income. What a great performance, huh? Google it, you Fox Fans. And Dr. Prissy Price wants Southern Republicans to be in leadership positions…just imagine that.
Kris
January 2nd, 2013
8:28 pm
@ Seriious…..10yrs from 25 to 39th…hummm…probably will be 49th when deal and sax leave in 2014.
Good Job President OBAMA