Norquist's tax pledge has long been a litmus test for any conservative. | JAY WESTCOTT/POLITICO GOP rookies buck Norquist

Grover’s grip may be loosening.

A small but increasingly vocal group of freshman Republicans are publicly rejecting the idea they are beholden to Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform pledge for their entire congressional careers.


One such member, Scott Rigell of Virginia, has openly rejected the pledge, explaining on his website that it would prevent Congress in some cases from eliminating corporate loopholes or government subsidies because those changes would have to be revenue-neutral. The math, he said, just doesn’t make sense.

And Reid Ribble (R-Wis.) told the Los Angeles Times he wouldn’t be signing the pledge again — or any pledge for that matter — not because he wants to raise taxes but because he wants to close certain loopholes to help pay down the deficit.

Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) scoffed at the idea the pledge was some sort of blood oath. A number of other offices of freshman members told POLITICO their bosses had sworn oaths to do what was best for their districts, not Americans for Tax Reform.

“I signed that thing in the desert of Afghanistan,” West said in an interview. “I got home and they wanted me to sign again during my campaign, and I wouldn’t, and Grover started yelling at my campaign manager. Grover is a nice guy, but I think he’s a little misguided.”

“I don’t care if he has my name on his website, it’s meaningless,” West added. “I think my voting record speaks for itself.”

The tax pledge has long been a litmus test for any conservative who wants to be taken seriously in a Republican primary. That some newcomers are repudiating it lends support to critics who argue the document is more valuable as a campaign tool than a guidepost for governing.

Norquist insists he’s not bothered by any hedging on the part of the freshmen.

“I don’t lie awake at night thinking any of these characters are going to vote for a tax increase,” Norquist said. “The leadership is not going to bring it up. All but six Republicans in the House have signed the pledge and they have a 25-vote margin. It’s a moot point.”

But the slip in devotion, however slight, is notable considering how strong a hold the pledge has had over the GOP.

A handful of other freshman members privately told POLITICO they had been struggling with their ATR pledge signatures, as they felt it had become clear the pledge was a hindrance to certain tax reforms they’d like to see happen.

Some members aren’t backing off the pledge, but when asked about it, their offices didn’t glow with praise for Norquist.

Rep. Robert Dold (R-Ill.) pledged only “to do what’s best for his constituents back home,” said spokeswoman Stefani Zimmerman. And a spokesman for Rep. Trey Gowdy, one of the most conservative House freshmen, emphasized that, first and foremost, Gowdy has “taken an oath to uphold the Constitution,” though the congressman isn’t backing away from the pledge.

Make no mistake, these members are all opposed to tax increases. But many don’t seem to take much stock in the fact that Norquist has their signatures on a piece of paper.

Norquist argues that members who sign the pledge do so with the understanding it’s a promise to constituents, not to him or Americans for Tax Reform. He said they also should understand the pledge is effective for the entire time they are in office.

Members like Rigell who openly have renounced their signatures on the pledge have to answer to the people back home, not to him, he said.

“He’s confused … although Rigell says he might be open to tax increases at some point down the road, the Democrats aren’t interested in the kind of tax hike in return for spending cuts he might imagine exists,” Norquist said of the Virginian. “And Republicans aren’t going to offer anything to him. So we’re having a hypothetical conversation about adopting a unicorn if one dropped by.”

“You don’t go to jail for talking about what kind of banks you might rob, you only go to jail for robbing banks,” Norquist added.

Despite his apparent nonchalance, Norquist did note he had “been in touch with the Republican Party in [Rigell’s] district, and they aren’t excited about it. This is not going to be a continuing problem.”

Rigell says he felt the need to speak out about his rejection of the ATR pledge after some soul-searching and a hard look at how to try to bring down the national deficit and overhaul the Tax Code.

“I eventually decided it was a direct impediment to reforming the Tax Code,” he said.

In his statement explaining his decision, Rigell explained that he simply wants to look at “an everything on the table approach” to fixing fiscal policy.

“Am I willing to increase revenues to fund more government spending? No. Any revenue increase that results from tax reform must reduce the debt, not fund more government spending. Is this a call for an increase in tax rates? No,” he stated.

“I can’t undo their commitment,” Norquist responded. “[Rigell] is truly confused about what percentage of the economy will be taken in taxes and what percentage will be taken in taxes in a recovered economy. … I think he’ll make it clear he’s not going to raise taxes and he’ll get himself reelected and whatever momentary impure thoughts he had on taxes will pass.”

Freshman Reps. Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.), Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.) and Rob Woodall (R-Ga.) never signed the pledge to begin with, making up half of the six House Republicans who refused to sign on.

Woodall argued the pledge was too restrictive because it promises that lawmakers must “oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates.”

“This simply reinforces our existing, broken tax code — the same tax code that’s laden with 60,000 pages of deductions, exemptions and exclusions designed to curry favor from special interests,” Woodall said in an emailed statement. “True tax reform cannot be achieved until we’re willing to abandon the current tax system in favor of something that is fair for all Americans.”