Norquist said allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire wouldn't violate his group's anti-tax pledge. Norquist: OK to let Bush cuts expire

Allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire to close the budget deficit would not constitute a tax increase or violate an anti-tax pledge signed by many Republicans, Grover Norquist told the Washington Post’s editorial page.

“Not continuing a tax cut is not technically a tax increase,” Norquist said.


Asked if it would violate his Americans for Tax Reform’s anti-tax pledge, Norquist said: “We wouldn’t hold it that way.”

But in an interview on MSNBC, Norquist sought to walk back his stance, saying the paper didn’t “follow the rest of the conversation.”

“There are certain things you can do technically and not violate the pledge and that the general public would clearly understand is a tax increase,” he said. “Let me be clear, Americans for Tax Reform would oppose any effort to weaken, reduce or not continue the 2001, 2003 Bush tax cuts and in fact any changes in tax should be kept separate from the budget deal.”

The Post editorial page posted audio of their exchange with Norquist, in which he clearly said letting the Bush tax cuts expire would not violate ATR’s pledge, though he acknowledged that “House and Senate guys view this as a tax increase.”

Democrats immediately seized on Norquist’s comments Thursday, with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) delivering a floor speech urging House Republicans to eliminate the Bush tax cuts and use the revenue to close part of the deficit. Republicans were more circumspect, with House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and others saying they will not support letting the tax cuts lapse.

Norquist’s stance is crucial because virtually all elected Republicans in Congress have signed his anti-tax pledge and Democrats say that’s a major stumbling block to reach a deal to raise the debt ceiling.

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), a member of the Gang of Six that this week introduced a long-term plan that would reduce the deficit with both spending cuts and tax revenue increases, sparred with Norquist in April when the anti-tax advocate accused him of going back on his pledge.

“Which pledge is most important … the pledge to uphold your oath to the Constitution of the United States or a pledge from a special interest group who claims to speak for all American conservatives when, in fact, they really don’t?” Coburn asked on “Meet the Press.” “The fact is we have enormous urgent problems in front of us that have to be addressed and have to be addressed in a way that will get 60 votes in the Senate… and something that the president will sign.”

Norquist responded then by saying Coburn “lied his way into office” by signing the pledge without intending to honor it.