Tax reform advocate Grover Norquist dumped cold water on the notion that Vice President Kamala Harris cast the “deciding vote” on the Democrat-led Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, arguing that every single Democrat who voted to pass the package had effectively been the deciding vote.
Following Sunday’s Senate vote on the package, the President of Americans for Tax Reform laid out his reaction in a series of tweets — the first of which was aimed at Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) and accused him of breaking a pledge to his constituents to never support raising taxes in a recession.
“Joe Manchin has now officially violated his pledge to WV voters to oppose any tax increase in a recession,” Norquist tweeted.
Joe Manchin Has Now Officially Violated His Pledge to WV Voters to Oppose Any Tax Increase in a Recession https://t.co/jpVj3Z8ORB
— Grover Norquist (@GroverNorquist) August 7, 2022
The article he shared, posted on ATR’s website, quoted Manchin from a 2010 televised debate. “I don’t think during a time of recession you mess with any of the taxes, or increase any taxes,” the West Virginia Senator explained at the time, adding, “I can’t look the people in West Virginia in the eye and ask them to pay a penny more until I know we’re running this government efficient.”
Manchin previously tanked President Joe Biden’s signature build Back Better plan for the same reason, telling Fox News host Bret Baier in December that he could not in good conscience move forward with a spending package that would increase inflation. And he made that statement even before several months of consecutive record-smashing inflation numbers and confirmation that the United States’ economy had seen two back-to-back quarters of negative GDP growth — the traditional marker indicating that the economy was in a recession.
Norquist then pointed out the fact that Manchin had certainly not acted alone, adding, “All Fifty Democrat Senators have voted for a massive tax hike during a recession, more subsidies during a period of runaway inflation, and siccing 87,000 new IRS agents on independent businesses at a cost of $80 billion. The November election should be interesting.”
All Fifty Democrat Senators have voted for a massive tax hike during a recession, more subsidies during a period of runaway inflation, and siccing 87,000 new IRS agents on independent businesses at a cost of $80 billion.
The November election should be interesting.— Grover Norquist (@GroverNorquist) August 7, 2022
“Every single Democrat in the US Senate cast the deciding vote to raise taxes in a recession. Every one of them,” Norquist added, drawing attention to the fact that if even one Democrat had voted against the package, the vice president’s tie-breaking vote would not have been enough to push the measure across the finish line.
Every single Democrat in the US Senate cast the deciding vote to raise taxes in a recession.
Every one of them.— Grover Norquist (@GroverNorquist) August 7, 2022