Yesterday, Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge in her race to replace former Rep. John McHugh. Democrat Bill Owens is the only candidate not to sign the Pledge in this race.

 To see ATR’s official statement on the Scozzafava signing the Pledge, click read more.
 
Dede Scozzafava  (R-N.Y.) signs the Taxpayer Protection Pledge
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Dede Scozzafava, a Republican running in New York’s 23rd Congressional district, recently signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform (ATR). The 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.”
 
ATR has offered the Pledge to all candidates for federal office since 1987. To date, 34 U.S. senators and 172 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have signed the Pledge. Additionally, seven Governors and over 1,100 state legislators have signed the Pledge.
 

Upon receiving the signed copy of Scozzafava’s pledge, Chris Butler, ATR’s Chief of Staff, said, “I’m encouraged that Dede Scozzafava would join Doug Hoffman in signing the Taxpayer Protection Pledge for New York’s 23rd Congressional District special election. The Pledge is a clear indication of where Hoffman and Scozzafava stand on taxes and on health care. Taxpayers should know that there are at least three clear violations of the Pledge in the current version of the House Health Care Bill, H.R. 3200.”
 
Butler continued, “I strongly urge Democrat Bill Owens to make the same commitment to taxpayers as Scozzafava and Hoffman did by signing the Pledge.  Americans are looking for candidates and politicians that will protect their family budgets ahead of the federal government’s coffers.”