With his vote for the Senate tax-and-spend reconciliation bill, Sen. Joe Manchin has officially broken his word to West Virginia. When Manchin asked the voters of West Virginia to send him to Washington, he made two tax promises to the voters:
1. No tax hikes in a recession.
In October 2010, in a nationally televised debate, Manchin said: “I don’t think during a time of recession you mess with any of the taxes, or increase any taxes.”
2. No tax hikes at all until the government is running “efficient.”
In the same October 2010 debate, Manchin said: “I can’t look the people in West Virginia in the eye and ask them to pay a penny more until I know we’re running this government efficient.”
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Here is a running list of tax increases in the bill.