According to The Hill, Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) publicly stated that the House GOP is willing to listen to Democrat proposals to increase taxes to lower the deficit:
A key Republican negotiator on Tuesday indicated he and his party were willing to listen to proposals from Democrats to consider higher taxes to reduce the deficit.
Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.), a conservative Republican who is the co-chairman of the deficit supercommittee, walked back a statement he made Tuesday on television, when he said Republicans “have gone as far as we feel we can go” by offering to raise $250 billion in new tax revenues.
Briefing reporters on Wednesday, Hensarling said Republicans would be “more than happy to negotiate” around a new offer from Democrats and pointedly declined to say whether $250 billion was the maximum in new revenue the GOP could accept.
“I’m waiting for the Democrats to put fundamental reform on the table,” Hensarling said. He called on Democrats to make an offer that included significant changes to Medicare, Medicaid and overall healthcare spending. “I’m not going to negotiate against myself. That is one offer we have put on the table that they can accept,” Hensarling said.
