A sign of progress emerged last week for those looking to Washington, D.C., to address the nation’s debt.
A small but growing number of Republicans running for Congress are refusing to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge circulated annually by the group Americans for Tax Reform.
“The pledge,” authored by anti-tax lobbyist Grover Norquist, is a promise to never, ever raise taxes. For years, it has been a prerequisite for GOP members of Congress.
It may be that its reign has seen its zenith. We certainly hope so, because revenue increases will have to be part of a comprehensive solution to the nation’s debt woes.
Last week, The Washington Post published a story saying that one-third of the 25 promising candidates promoted by the National Republican Congressional Committee have indicated they .
That’s particularly significant when you consider that of the 242 Republicans in Congress, all but a half-dozen have signed the pledge. The four Republicans who represent Colorado are all signatories.
We hope this indicates a shift in posture among Republicans. It would give them some leeway in negotiating with Democrats over ways to bridge the gap between what the nation spends and what it brings in.
That would be a pragmatic move, something rarely seen these days in Washington.
For years, the pledge has been a cudgel that Norquist has used to beat up those who didn’t meet his purity test. (Democrats also used it against the GOP earlier this year when pushing for extension of the payroll tax cut, arguing that letting the cut expire was a de facto tax hike.)
In 2005, Norquist took aim at then-Gov. Bill Owens, who asked voters to approve Referendum C. That measured allowed for a five-year timeout from the revenue limits imposed by the 1992 Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. From 1,700 miles away, Norquist went ballistic, prognosticating that Owens would ruin his chances with conservative groups. As it turned out, the passage of Ref C enabled Colorado to preserve vital public services, keep classroom sizes reasonable and pay off bonds for transportation projects. It will always be a positive part of Owens’ legacy.
Similarly, we hope, more GOP federal lawmakers will move away from absolutist revenue positions.
Everything truly must be on the table when attempting to rein in the nation’s federal debt.
