Skip to main content


Rand Paul takes hard line on tax pledge

Tea-party favorite Rand Paul still speaks for fiscal conservitives.

One Republican is honoring his word. Breaking ranks with defecting Republicans on the no-tax-hike pledge, Rand Paul is holding his ground. For Paul, a promise is a promise.

Rand Paul remains committed to his oath to oppose tax increases.

Rand Paul remains committed to his oath to oppose tax increases.

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - Paul said in an interview with Fox News' Greta Van Sustren, "I made a pledge to the people of Kentucky that I'm not raising taxes. I took a pledge. I signed a statement, an oath that I wouldn't raise taxes, and I'm going to adhere to it."

A number of Republicans have said they are willing to negotiate with Obama and possibly raise taxes in order to avoid the fiscal cliff, which looms on January 1.

Paul went further. "I think you should balance budgets, not spend more than comes in, and I think you should lower taxes, not raise taxes. In fact, if you want to stimulate the economy, I'm for cutting tax revenues. All these Republicans who want to give up their taxpayer pledge and raise taxes, I'm the opposite. I want to lower taxes because that's how we'd get actually more economic growth and maybe more revenue, if you cut tax rates."

When asked how he would raise government revenues, Paul suggested economic growth as the only sustainable way to do so. "You don't have to raise rates or even close loopholes. If your economy was growing -- you know, when the economy was growing for four years after the Bush tax cuts, we had plenty of revenue. Revenue went down when the recession came."

Paul added, "The reason we have a lack of revenue in Washington is too much spending and no economic growth. So we don't have economic growth. If the economy were growing at 4 percent right now, we'd have plenty of revenue. But you don't get the economy to grow by raising taxes. That's what they want to do now, and I think it's absolutely the wrong thing to do."

While Paul made clear he supports avoiding the fiscal cliff, he does not like the way it is bound to happen. "I think there'll be something really big -- some enormous, ugly bill with a lot of stuff in it, including raising the debt ceiling by a couple trillion dollars. They'll squish it into one bill. And sometime before Christmas, they'll pass it."

If so, then a great number of Republicans who broke their pledge to the American people will have much to answer for in their next election. As for Paul, his star is likely to continue rising.

© 2012, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention:
The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Rand Paul, conservitive, taxes, pledge, honor, fiscal cliff

NEWSLETTERS »

E-mail:       Zip Code: (ex. 90001)
Today's Headlines

Sign up for a roundup of the day's top stories. 5 days / week. See Sample

Rate This Article

Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful at All

Yes, I am Interested No, I am not Interested

Rate Article

1 - 3 of 3 Comments

  1. blacksheep09
    5 months ago

    The Bluegrass State should be proud of Sen. Paul, a man who's word is bond; unlike my two Texas shortfalls that seem to grow in personal wealth and power. I may not agree with everything Sen. Paul believes, but I do pray the Lord grant him wisdom and resolve to deal with the entrenched evil that strangles our Congress. Sen. Paul is one of the few standing against the biggest insider trading unit on the earth, I pray "Oh Lord don't let this man fall as so many others have"

  2. vance
    5 months ago

    Good for Rand Paul. I hope all of congress will take the same hard line.

  3. John Mainhart
    5 months ago

    I agree with almost everythying this man says and what is more important I beklieve he is a man of integrity and seeks the truth. That said, I can not understand why big businesses who live in a world of very excessive wealth and spend much of their time hiring lawyers to beat the tax system to enrich their own leadership and their political friends even more, need ,tax breakes. In my world the very bad result of tax breakes is to encourage bigger companies, even in farming, to become so large that the small businesses are driven out of their livelihood. That is not Catholic subsidianarism.

Leave a Comment

Comments submitted must be civil, remain on-topic and not violate any laws including copyright. We reserve the right to delete any comments which are abusive, inappropriate or not constructive to the discussion.

Though we invite robust discussion, we reserve the right to not publish any comment which denigrates the human person, undermines marriage and the family, or advocates for positions which openly oppose the teaching of the Catholic Church.

This is a supervised forum and the Editors of Catholic Online retain the right to direct it.

We also reserve the right to block any commenter for repeated violations. Your email address is required to post, but it will not be published on the site.

We ask that you NOT post your comment more than once. Catholic Online is growing and our ability to review all comments sometimes results in a delay in their publication.

Send me important information from Catholic Online and it's partners. See Sample

Post Comment


Newsletter Sign Up

Daily Readings

Reading 1, Sirach 17:1-15
The Lord fashioned human beings from the earth, to consign them ... Read More

Psalm, Psalms 103:13-14, 15-16, 17-18
As tenderly as a father treats his children, so Yahweh treats ... Read More

Gospel, Mark 10:13-16
People were bringing little children to him, for him to touch ... Read More

Saint of the Day

May 25 Saint of the Day

St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi
May 25: It would be easy to concentrate on the mystical experiences God ... Read More