Norquist Pledge is political malpractice

Norquist Pledge is political malpractice

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Paul F. deLespinasse

Paul F. deLespinasse

It is now obvious that President Joe Biden’s efforts to secure bipartisan support for a substantial infrastructure program will fail. This was probably inevitable. Nearly all Republicans in Congress have signed the “Norquist Pledge” never to raise any taxes, and even a much smaller program would require that some taxes be increased.

Republican members of Congress have consistently denounced every tax increase proposed by the Biden Administration. They have given different reasons for opposing every particular measure. Although they never mention the Norquist Pledge, their actions demonstrate a firm intent to abide by it.

Although it is commendable to keep their word, these politicians should never have given that word in the first place. The Pledge is financially irresponsible political malpractice. It makes it harder to reduce taxes when circumstances permit. No rational legislator would support tax decreases if he or she knew that it would be impossible to raise them again if the reductions turned out to be too big, or if changed circumstances made increases advisable.

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