The Hill News

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs criticized Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) via Twitter on Sunday night after Kyl appeared on Fox News and defended the Bush tax cuts.

In response to a question about how to recoup the "$678 billion just on the tax cuts for people ... making more than $200,000 a year," Kyl said:

You do need to offset the cost of increased spending, and that’s what Republicans object to. But you should never have to offset cost of a deliberate decision to reduce tax rates on Americans.

Gibbs then tweeted the following:

Hear Sen Kyl today â€" no need to pay for extending Bush tax cuts for wealthy ... but won't let unemployed get extended insurance unless it is?!

He referred to Kyl's belief, expressed in March on the Senate floor, that unemployment insurance "is a disincentive for [people] to seek new work."

Gibbs repeated later:

Kyl says wealthy need big Bush tax cuts while middle class families are on their own to fend for themselves as a result of Bush economy