Updated 12:00 p.m. | Speaker John A. Boehner pushed back against media reports that he may be willing to buck the majority of his caucus to end the current budget impasse, telling GOP lawmakers that he will not “roll over.”
Republicans leaving a morning party conference meeting said the Ohio Republican reassured them that he would not cave to Democrats — who are demanding a policy rider-free continuing resolution to reopen the government, as well as a “clean” debt limit increase.
“I think the important takeaway is this stuff that’s floating around in the media about, you know, he’s not willing to challenge, is not true,” said Rep. John Fleming. The Louisiana Republican quoted Boehner as saying he wouldn’t “roll over.”
Fleming added, “We’ll demand the other side to talk to us and negotiate with us. … He doesn’t have any intentions on rolling over on anything whether it’s the CR — that’s the word he used — or the debt limit.”
At a news conference following the meeting, Boehner said he has told President Barack Obama that “no one gets 100 percent” of what they want, and said president is not going to get 100 percent of what he wants either.