The U.S. Senate this afternoon is voting on a series of amendments to the Highway Bill.  One of these amendments (#1822) has been offered by Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL).  It seeks to append to the Highway Bill the provisions of S. 1400, the "RESTORE Act," which has been scored by the Congressional Budget Office as a $2.1 billion spending program.

In order to pay for this new spending, the Nelson amendment increases corporate income taxes.  Because the amendment is an income tax increase without offsetting tax relief, it violates the Taxpayer Protection Pledge.

Senators who have pledged to their constituents that they would not raise net taxes would be in violation of their Pledge if they were to vote for the Nelson amendment in its current form.