At a press conference today, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) highlighted the new House majority’s effort to create a better environment for private-sector job growth.  He also called on the Democratic-controlled Senate – which has passed no legislation to prevent default or downgrade of the nation’s credit status, and has not even passed a budget – to follow the House’s lead and pass the ‘cut, cap, and balance’ bill to make the spending cuts and budget reforms Americans are demanding, without imposing job-crushing tax hikes on families and small businesses.  Following are video and text of Speaker Boehner’s remarks:

BOEHNER CALLS ON THE NO-BUDGET SENATE TO PASS “CUT, CAP, AND BALANCE”:

“Also this week, the House passed our ‘cut, cap, and balance’ legislation that represents exactly the kind of ‘balanced legislation’ the President has talked about.  It provides him with the debt limit increase that he’s requested.  But it gives families and small businesses the real spending cuts and reforms that they are demanding without any job-crushing tax hikes.

“What this legislation also shows is that it’s not only important to avoid default, it’s also important that we take a meaningful step toward real deficit reduction.  This means, in addition to cutting and capping spending now, there should be real structural reforms to our entitlement programs. And, there will be no tax increases.  Legislation that meets this test would be the best approach to help create jobs and get our economy moving again.

“With all that’s at stake right now, it’s not enough to wish or to wait for a solution to materialize.  And whatever you want to call that approach, it’s certainly not ‘leadership.’  Republicans have laid out a responsible – and detailed – path forward, and the House has passed it.  The Senate should now pass ‘cut, cup, and balance’ and it’s already cleared the House with bipartisan support and I’m hopeful that the Senate will do so as well.”

BOEHNER: “THE BALL CONTINUES TO BE IN THE PRESIDENT’S COURT”:

“Listen, the ball continues to be in the President’s court, and it’s been there for some time. If we’re going to avoid default and prevent a downgrade of our credit rating – and if we’re going to create jobs and jumpstart the economy – I think he needs to step up and work with us on the spending cuts and reforms that the American people are demanding.”

BOEHNER ON GOP LEGISLATION TO PROTECT AMERICAN JOBS:

“Republicans continue to make job creation our top priority.  This morning, the House Committee on Education & the Workforce is considering a bill that would prohibit the National Labor Relations Board from [dictating] where an employer can or cannot locate jobs here in our country.   In South Carolina, we’ve seen how this one agency can block thousands of good-paying jobs and [is] having a chilling effect on employers all across our country.