Nearly 200 members of area Tea Party chapters rallied on Monday afternoon at the local office of the nation's highest ranking Republican. It was a show of force in support of U.S. House Speaker John Boehner in the showdown over America's debt ceiling and taxes.Many came to hand letters and messages backing Boehner for his positions in recent weeks for resisting raising the nation's debt limit without spending cuts and opposing tax hikes. More so than any other Congressional leader, Boehner has been the high profile face of opposition in negotiations with President Barack Obama.
Andrew Pappas, president of the Anderson Township Tea Party chapter, said the rally was to let Boehner know fiscal conservatives locally and across the region are backing him fully during the high stakes negotiations.
"I think the pressure on speaker Boehner is tremendous and this show of support may be just what he needs," said Pappas. "And I think it is very important that speaker Boehner not just hear from the tea party, but from all of his constituents who think Washington has a spending problem not an income problem."
Negotiations between the president and congressional leaders broke down over the weekend. Boehner has maintained that spending cuts should be greater than the increase in the debt limit - with no tax increases. Some economists argue that a debt agreement is needed to stave off federal default.
Even as the rally was on, the status of negotiations in the nation's capital remained in flux with both Boehner and Democratic leaders making new proposals Monday afternoon and Obama then announcing he will make a 9 p.m. televised speech on the impasse. Tea Party organizers said they handed over more than 500 letters from supporters to staffers from Boehner's home congressional office.
The rally was organized by the West Chester Tea Party but supporters from throughout Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky attended. Jerry and Carol Ling - self-described fiscal conservatives - drove up from their home in Cold Spring, Ky. to support Boehner.
Carol Ling said concerns about burdening the next generation of Americans with suffocating debt drove them to the rally. "We're in this fight for our kids and grandkids," she said.