Candidate now encouraged to put commitment in writing
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Sunday, on at least two seperate occasions, Sen. John McCain made a verbal pledge to veto tax increases if elected President.
During an appearance on Fox News Channel’s Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace had the following exchange with Sen. McCain:
CHRIS WALLACE: “As president, will you veto any tax increase passed by a Democratic Congress?”
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN: “Yes.”
See the rest of the exchange at http://youtube.com/watch?v=k5_dsxBEJVY
Sen. McCain was also a guest on CBS’s Face the Nation, hosted by Bob Schieffer. Again, he was asked to commit to veto a tax increase:
BOB SCHIEFFER: “Let’s just say that you do become president and a Democratic congress raises taxes. What would you do? Would you veto it?”
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN: “Sure. Sure I’d veto it. I think if we’re gonna be in some shaky times, and by the way I believe the fundamentals of America’s economy are still strong, then the worst thing you can do is increase taxes at that time.”
View this exchange at http://youtube.com/watch?v=I5Xvx17scJk
Sen. McCain joins Gov. Mitt Romney, Gov. Mike Huckabee, and Rep. Ron Paul in publicly making a commitment to the American people to veto any attempt to raise taxes.
Americans for Tax Reform now strongly encourages Sen. McCain to put his commitment in writing.
For two decades, ATR has asked all presidential and federal candidates to commit to their constituents, in writing, to oppose any and all efforts to raise income taxes. Every Republican nominee since Ronald Reagan has made this commitment, as well as over 90 percent of incumbent GOP House and Senate members.
Gov. Romney was the first of the 2008 field to make this commitment, signing the Taxpayer Protection Pledge on December 31, 2006. Gov. Huckabee signed on March 2, 2007, and Rep. Paul signed on April 25, 2007.
Meanwhile, neither of the two remaining Democrat candidates – Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama – has made any form of commitment, written or otherwise, to veto tax increases.