“Larger debt debate looms on the Hill” by Richard Wolf at USA Today. “The $33 billion or more that lawmakers want to cut from the federal budget to avoid a partial government shutdown is but a small down payment on what could be much bigger cuts to come. Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform says Republicans will be held to pledges against raising taxes… Still, moving consensus from a group of six senators to majorities in the Senate and House appears unlikely…On the right, anti-tax advocates such as Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, say they'll hold Republicans such as Chambliss to previous pledges against raising taxes…Tea Party activists want to prevent Republicans from compromising on a deficit-reduction package including higher taxes.”
From The Sacramento Bee: Calif. State Sen. Ted Gaines stands firm with the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. “For weeks, the Roseville Republican withstood pleas from school officials in his north state Senate district to let voters decide whether to extend taxes and avert what could be sizable budget cuts.Gaines and his fellow Republicans in the Legislature refused to go along with a proposal by Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic legislators to solve California's budget deficit with a combination of funding cuts and tax extensions. Elected this year on an anti-tax theme, Gaines said his constituents overwhelmingly oppose extending the 2009 tax increases. ‘People tell me all the time 'Don't increase taxes,'’ he said.”