David McSweeney Wins Primary on Anti-Tax Platform
WASHINGTON – David McSweeney, a Republican running for Illinois’s 8th congressional district, appealed to voters using an anti-tax platform in the Republican primary yesterday. Kathy Salvi, another Republican Pledge-signer, took second place and has thrown her support to McSweeney in his quest to defeat incumbent Democrat Melissa Bean. Key components of McSweeney’s platform include voting to make President Bush’s tax cuts permanent, offering tax cuts to companies that invest in new jobs and workers, and cutting the burden of unnecessary regulations.
The Taxpayer Protection Pledge commits signers to “oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses … and oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates."
Americans for Tax Reform has offered the Pledge to all candidates for federal office since 1987. To date, President George W. Bush, 46 U.S. senators, and 221 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have signed the Pledge. Additionally, six Governors and over 1,260 state legislators have signed the Pledge as well.
“America needs leaders who are committed to protecting taxpayers, and signing our Pledge
demonstrates that kind of leadership,” said Grover Norquist, president of ATR.
"Protecting taxpayers should be the first priority of any legislator, whether at the state or national level," Norquist continued. "David McSweeney understands this important notion, and this is why he has taken the Pledge. Why does Melissa Bean continue to refuse to do so?”