Tax Pledge Mutiny as Fiscal Cliff Approaches

Grover Norquist is confronted by a tax pledge mutiny as the fiscal cliff approaches.

Norquist has demanded for years that elected officials sign a pledge promising not to raise any taxes under any circumstance and over the years, a majority of Republicans in the U.S. Congress have done so. However, this year one-third of the new GOP House members refused to sign his pledge.

Also, as the fiscal cliff of automatic tax increases and spending cuts looms ever closer unless Congress acts during the course of the next few weeks, four prominent Republicans have come out publicly to suggest that they might break Norquist’s pledge in exchange for the right deal with Democrats. Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) stated last week that “I care more about my country than I do about a 20 year old pledge”. Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) has indicated he would make a similar declaration along with Representative Peter King (R-NY). Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has suggested he will abandon the pledge in exchange for meaningful entitlement reform and even House Majority Leader Eric Cantor suggested on Monday that he his work to solve America’s problems might trump his pledge to Norquist

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