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PRESS RELEASE FROM AMERICANS FOR TAX REFORM
Contact: John Kartch ( jkartch@atr.org or 202-785-0266)

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10/19/04

Burr Battles Bowles for American Taxpayers
Americans for Tax Reform confident in Burr’s stellar record

WASHINGTON – Congressman Richard Burr (R-NC) is pro-taxpayer, pro-business and pro-North Carolina according to Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) , the nation’s leading taxpayer group. The group asserted that Burr outshines his liberal leaning opponent Erskine Bowles when managing taxpayer’s concerns. Burr and Bowles are vying for an open seat in the U.S. Senate.

Taxpayers hold high regard for Burr, who takes a strong stance on issues that affect families most. He has signed ATR’s “Taxpayer Protection Pledge," a written commitment to the taxpayers in a candidate's state to oppose any and all tax increases, joining President George W. Bush, 42 U.S. senators, and 218 members of the U.S. House of Representatives in signing the Pledge. Burr has also signed pledges vowing to repeal death tax, which would ensure that families retain their farms, businesses and earnings. Bowles, like Presidential candidate John Kerry, refuses to sign the Pledge.

“Burr is not afraid sign off on his word to protect taxpayers,” said Grover Norquist, president of ATR. “Bowles seems to have lost his pen along with his head.”

Bowles supports the Kerry healthcare plan. He would expand the State Child Health Insurance Program. He would impose price controls and formularies on Medicare drugs, proven to have little or no benefit. He would also welcome the importation of potentially unsafe foreign drugs. The total price tag of Bowles’ irresponsible plan: $154.2 billion.

“In 1997 Bowles worked to cut Medicare and Medicaid by over $826 billion,” continued Norquist. “But now he’s hailing such programs, threatening to strong-arm Americans into signing away their wallets and their wellbeing. Bowles’ programs are both exorbitant and contradictory.”

In contrast, Burr has proven his complete devotion to taxpayers’ rights. Throughout his years in congress Burr has fought to improve healthcare; he voted for medical malpractice reform, extensions of prescription drug coverage and provisions allowing small business to extend healthcare coverage by pooling resources.

“While Burr was out there fighting for taxpayers, Bowles was busy living it up, laughing over the Clintonian reforms he supported,” concluded Norquist. “ North Carolina’s taxpayers won’t be able to afford six years of Bowles’ liberal mis-representation.”

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Americans for Tax Reform is a non-partisan coalition of taxpayers and taxpayer groups who oppose any and all federal and state tax increases.  For more information, or to arrange an interview with Mr. Norquist please contact John Kartch at (202)785-0266 or by email at jkartch@atr.org.