Snowe: Norquist Pledge Could Send Nation Over The Fiscal Cliff
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/12/28/1378671/olympia-snowe-norquist-pledge-could-send-nation-over-the-fiscal-cliff/
On Friday morning, outgoing Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) attributed the GOPs reluctance to reach a balanced deal that could avert the so-called fiscal cliff to Grover Norquists pledge, which prevents Republicans from supporting a tax increase. President Obama has called on lawmakers to pass a package that maintains the Bush tax cuts for families earning less than $250,000 a year, though Republicans have thus far ignored his call and unsuccessfully attempted to advance a much more modest measure that preserved tax breaks for incomes under a million dollars.
Appearing on CNNs Starting Point, Snowe who backs a deal that would maintain current tax rates for families earning $400,000 and less called on Republicans and Democrats to compromise, but noted that the no-tax pledge may be holding them back:
ALI VELSHI (HOST): Talk to me about this. I certainly dont want to demonize people who ideologically believe taxes shouldnt go up on anyone or dont want taxes to go up because they think its damaging to the economy. I think there are a lot of Americans who are quite prepared to demonize people who will not change their view or cast a vote because it offends Grover Norquist. What role do the pledges play in our inability to compromise?
SNOWE:
Well, Im certain it does play a role. Ive never signed these pledges because my obligation to the people who elected me and thats the way it should be for each member of Congress, because times change. The circumstances change, you have to address the issue at hand. It is important to have extending the tax cuts for especially the middle income but secondly to put spending cuts on the table.
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