As reported by Gail Russell Chaddock in The Christian Science Monitor, “The GOP knows it will get $1.2 trillion in deficit cuts this year no matter what.  That gives it less incentive to compromise with President Obama on a deal that raises taxes on the rich.”  If Republicans and Democrats cannot reach a compromise on deficit reduction between now and the end of the year, “ ‘there will be massive spending cuts and no tax increase , and what Republican would be upset at that?’” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. 

Alex Leary writes in the Miami Herald, referring to Grover Norquist, “Ninety-five percent of Republicans in Congress have signed his Taxpayer Protection Pledge”.  “Pledge takers must oppose ‘any and all’ taxes and fight the elimination of any tax deductions or credits unless offset ‘dollar for dollar’ by tax cuts”.  “‘It’s very difficult to actually lie when you write it down’, Norquist, 54, said from his Washington office on a recent afternoon.”

As written by Emily Miller in The Washington Times, President Obama’s September 19, 2011 speech “railed against the Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) no tax pledge”, which stands in the way of his proposed $1.5 trillion tax hike.  “The president just endorsed raising the capital gains tax from 15 to 35 percent,” ATR President Grover Norquist told The Washington Times.  “If the market believed the president was powerful and would actually enact this whole speech, then the market would be collapsing because a 35 percent capital-gains tax would be devastating,” he said.”

“Congress last week struck an eleventh-hour deal to secure funding for the nation’s transportation programs, avoiding yet another costly and embarrassing legislative impasse.” writes Kendra Marr in Politico.  “Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, previewed the upcoming fight last week, declaring that transportation dollars would go to politicians’ families, environmentalists, union bosses and other cronies.  And he pushed back on the president’s assertion that long-term infrastructure investments create economic growth.  ‘It doesn’t work,’ Norquist said.”