Toomey: My Pledge Is For ‘Lowest Possible Taxes’

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Sen. Pat Toomney (R-PA) stood by Grover Norquist’s anti-tax pledge Tuesday, saying he opposed any increase in revenue without also lowering tax rates, during an appearance on CNN’s “Starting Point” Tuesday. He added that his pledge is to “fight for the lowest possible taxes.”

If we’re going to have to have some kind of revenue increase, which this president seems determined to do, I would hope we could at least do it in the way that does the least economic harm. That means lower marginal rates, reform the tax code, offset the lost revenue by reducing deductions, write-offs, loopholes, that sort of thing.  Then, at least, you could hope that you’d have some pro-growth policy in your tax code that would offset the damage done by greater revenue…

 

I don’t intend to violate any pledge. My pledge is not to support higher taxes. What we’re faced with in just a few weeks is a massive tax increase. If I can help ensure that we don’t have that tax increase then I believe I’ve fulfilled my pledge to fight for the lowest possible taxes.

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