Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) commends former New Jersey governor Chris Christie for signing the Presidential Taxpayer Protection Pledge, a written commitment to the taxpayers of the United States to oppose and veto any tax increase.
Candidates often make campaign promises not to raise taxes, only to abandon taxpayers once elected. The Taxpayer Protection Pledge requires candidates to put their commitment in writing – making it much harder to reverse course. By signing the Pledge, Christie has demonstrated a dedication to fiscal responsibility and pro-growth tax policies that taxpayers can rely on.
“I strongly applaud Chris Christie for taking a principled stand and signing the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. By making this commitment, he has demonstrated a true dedication to the values of fiscal responsibility and pro-growth tax policy. Christie’s pledge is a powerful symbol of his unwavering support for hardworking taxpayers and their right to keep more of their hard-earned money,” said ATR President Grover Norquist.
He continued, “With Christie’s pledge, we can trust he will champion pro-growth policies, protect our economic freedom, and resist any attempts to burden Americans with tax hikes.”
Christie also signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge pledge as a GOP presidential candidate in the 2016 cycle. As governor of New Jersey, he consistently vetoed tax increases passed by Democrats in the legislature. He made those vetoes stick.
The Taxpayer Protection Pledge was created in 1985 by Americans for Tax Reform as a way to solidify candidates’ commitments to taxpayers. President Reagan urged all candidates to sign the Pledge. He campaigned for and praised candidates who signed the Pledge.
Today, over 1,400 incumbent elected officials on the federal and state level are Taxpayer Protection Pledge signers.
There are currently 189 Pledge signers in the U.S. House — including Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Majority Leader Steve Scalise — and 42 Pledge signers in the U.S. Senate including Leader Mitch McConnell. 85% of Congressional Republicans have signed the pledge and put their commitment to oppose tax increases into writing, contrasting the ZERO congressional Democrats who have made this commitment.
Currently, a record-high 18 incumbent governors have signed the pledge, all Republicans.
In the coming weeks, ATR expects all GOP candidates for President to make this written commitment to U.S. taxpayers.
New candidates sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge regularly. Please visit the ATR Pledge Database for the most up-to-date information on the Pledge.