Washington ( CNN ) -- House Speaker John Boehner says he and President Barack Obama have a `` pretty good relationship , '' but he also criticized Obama for fomenting what Boehner called `` class warfare '' in the political debate over spending , taxes and job creation . In an interview broadcast Sunday on ABC 's `` This Week '' program , Boehner defended Republican opposition to efforts by Obama and Democrats to increase taxes on wealthy Americans as part of deficit reduction and job creation measures . `` Come on . The top 1 % paid 38 % of income taxes in America , '' Boehner , R-Ohio , said in the interview taped Friday when asked about the persistent GOP stand against tax increases . `` How much more do you want them to pay ? '' Obama has crafted a campaign theme of Republicans defending the wealthy against tax cuts as part of a narrative that Boehner said was intended to pit segments of society against each other . `` We are not going to engage in class warfare , '' Boehner said , adding : `` The president 's clearly trying to do it , and it 's wrong . '' Republicans generally want to cut government spending and debt by shrinking the size of government and therefore oppose raising taxes or adding new tax revenue . However , Boehner and some other Republicans advocate the possibility of increasing government revenue through a revised tax code that lowers rates but expands the number of taxpayers . Such a step would only be acceptable `` as long as our colleagues on the other side are serious about cutting spending , '' Boehner said in the ABC interview . During negotiations with Obama this year on a possible comprehensive deficit reduction deal , Boehner reportedly agreed to as much as $ 800 billion in additional revenue as part of the package . The talks broke down over differences on the tax issue and entitlement cuts , and Boehner said in the interview that the specific trade-offs discussed then with Obama appeared out of reach now . `` I think it 's hard to put Humpty Dumpty back together again , '' he said . When asked how much additional revenue Republicans could accept in a deal , Boehner responded : `` That 's the $ 64 million question . Nobody knows . '' A special joint congressional committee created to work out a deficit reduction deal faces a November 23 deadline , with no breakthrough in sight . Boehner disagreed that the 12-member panel -- evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats from the House and Senate -- was at an impasse , but he emphasized the issues being tackled were hard -- too hard for he and Obama to resolve . `` Nobody ( was ) more upset that we could n't come to an agreement , the president and I , than I was , '' Boehner said . As far as he and the president are concerned , `` it 's been a little frosty here the last couple of weeks , but we 've got a pretty good relationship . ''
The House speaker says his relationship with the president is `` pretty good '' Boehner is open to increasing tax revenue , as long as Democrats will cut spending . Crafting a deficit reduction deal is hard work but not yet at an impasse , Boehner says .