Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) commends former legislator Kevin Coughlin for signing the congressional Taxpayer Protection Pledge, a written commitment to the taxpayers of Ohio to oppose and vote against income tax hikes.
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 harder to reverse course.
Coughlin’s decision to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge exhibits his strong commitment to fiscal responsibility and pro-growth tax policies.
“I strongly applaud Kevin Coughlin for taking a principled stand and signing the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. He has exhibited a true dedication to fiscal responsibility and pro-growth tax policy by making this commitment. This 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 Coughlin’s Pledge, we can trust that he will champion pro-growth policies, protect our economic freedom, and resist any attempts to burden Americans with even higher taxes.”
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 elected officials and candidates on the federal and state level are Taxpayer Protection Pledge signers.
There are currently 190 Pledge signers in the U.S. House and 42 Pledge signers in the U.S. Senate, including most of the Ohio congressional delegation. 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.
President Biden and Vice President Harris have vowed to raise taxes: they have both repeatedly pledged to “eliminate”, “get rid of”, “repeal” and “reverse” the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which cut taxes for all Americans.
New candidates sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge regularly. Please visit the ATR Pledge Database for the most up-to-date information on the Pledge.