Americans for Tax Reform today announced we are starting a series of ads aimed at encouraging Senator Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) to oppose the Senate healthcare bill on the grounds that it violates his Taxpayer Protection Pledge.
When Senator Nelson ran for the U.S. Senate, he made a written Pledge to his constituents and the American people to oppose any net income tax hikes. He is bound by that Pledge for the duration of his career as a senator. The Senate healthcare bill contains nearly $500 billion in new tax hikes over the next decade, including billions in income tax hikes.
The television advertisements will run on both local and national news and commentary broadcasts for at least three weeks, reflecting how critical Senator Nelson’s vote is to preventing tax increases as a part of the healthcare bill. In addition, the campaign will have an internet component, centered around a dedicated website which will launch Monday.
In order to get government healthcare paid for by massive tax hikes through the Senate, every Democrat must vote on motions to proceed and cloture. If Senator Nelson joins his Democrat colleagues on these votes, he will be breaking the Pledge he made to all Nebraskans to not raise income taxes. Now is the time where Senator Nelson must follow through on the promise he made to get elected.