House Speaker John Boehner gave his weekly legislative briefing to the press. In reaction to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor pulling out of congressional negotiations with Vice President Biden over federal debt and budget deficit reductions, Speaker Boehner reiterated that tax hikes remain unacceptable to Republican leaders. He also reacted to President Obama’s Afghanistan troop reduction plan, saying he was "cautiously optimistic," and confirmed that a resolution defunding military action in Libya be on the House floor the following day.