Coalition urges Congress to reject tax increases
Dear Congressman:
As the end of the Congressional session approaches, you will face many calls to raise taxes in order to “pay for” higher levels of spending and debt. On behalf of millions of conservative and free market activists, grasstops leaders, and ordinary Americans, we urge you to firmly reject these calls.
The most common form this takes inside the Beltway is a clamor to raise taxes in order to bust the Budget Control Act caps, which have helped to restrain spending, reduce the deficit and save the average American household nearly $9,000 to date. Higher taxes are also floated in connection with things like a highway bill, raising the debt ceiling, passing an omnibus spending bill or continuing resolution, or any of a number of other “must pass” vehicles.
This year alone, higher taxes have been called for on gasoline, “carried interest” long-term capital gains, itemized deductions, income earned overseas by U.S. companies and which has already faced taxation abroad, oil and gas exploration and development, cigarettes and other tobacco products, insurance transactions with non-US affiliates, and many others.
The proper context to have these conversations is within revenue-neutral tax reform that doesn’t raise tax rates, not as “pay fors” within hurried year-end spending packages.
We urge you to reject any tax increases in the spending and debt conversations between now and the end of the year.
Sincerely,
Grover Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform
Brandon Arnold, National Taxpayers Union
Tom Schatz, Council for Citizens Against Government Waste
Andrew Moylan, R Street
Phil Kerpen, American Committment
Neil Bradley, Conservative Reform Network
