Cantor: Failure of tax cut extension would ‘be on Harry Reid’s lap’

{mosads}Pressed as to whether that miscommunication had led to political problems for the GOP, Cantor was eager to shift blame back to Democrats.

“All I can say is the Senate was given only one opportunity to vote on it by Harry Reid, as Harry Reid is in charge of the Senate,” Cantor said.

“This is easy, it’s about Barack Obama and Harry Reid coming back to Washington and the president coming from the White House to the Hill or having us there to resolve this,” he added.

Cantor pushed President Obama to intervene in the negotiations, a theme House leadership has been pushing since voting to send the extension legislation to a conference committee Tuesday.

“He ought not be going on vacation, nor should Harry Reid, until the American people are guaranteed their taxes won’t go up for a year,” Cantor said.

Cantor also deflected criticism that the House GOP had not managed to achieve many of its conservative policy goals, admitting that while “none of us conservatives feel like we’ve gotten where we want to be,” that had more to do with a divided government than a failure in top leadership.

“We’re here fighting right now while the rest of Washington seems to think it’s time to go on vacation,” Cantor said.