In a speech on Thursday, House Speaker John Boehner said tax increases should be off the table in discussions about the debt reduction plan.

House Speaker John Boehner: “Now tax increases, I think, are off the table. And I don’t think they’re a viable option for the joint committee. It’s a very simple equation: tax increases destroy jobs. And the joint committee is a jobs committee. Its mission is to reduce the deficit that is threatening job creation in our country. And we should not make its task harder by asking it to do things that will make the environment for job creation in America even worse. And I hope the President will meet this standard when he puts forth his recommendations for the joint committee next week.”