40 House Republicans Sign Letter Saying They’re Open To Tax Increases

[ProSense]

40 House Republicans Sign Letter Saying They’re Open To Tax Increases

By Alex Seitz-Wald

Forty House Republicans joined 60 Democrats today in a letter calling on the congressional super committee to consider “all options” in crafting a deficit reduction package, including increasing revenues. As the AP notes, the “letter puts about one-sixth of House GOP lawmakers on record as saying the supercommittee should consider collecting more taxes.” From the letter:

We write to you as a bipartisan group of representatives from across the political spectrum in the belief that the success of your committee is vital to our country’s future. We know that many in Washington and around the country do not believe we in the Congress and those within your committee can successfully meet this challenge. We believe that we can and we must.

To succeed, all options for mandatory and discretionary spending and revenues must be on the table. In addition, we know from other bipartisan frameworks that a target of some $4 trillion in deficit reduction is necessary to stabilize our debt as a share of the economy and assure America’s fiscal well-being.

Republican Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) organized the letter, which included conservative signatories like Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and some freshmen Tea Party lawmakers like Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY).

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The 60 Democrats:

Andrews (D-NJ)
Barrow (D-GA)
Bishop, Tim (D-NY)
Boren (D-OK)
Boswell (D-IA)
Cardoza (D-CA)
Carney (D-DE)
Castor (D-FL)
Chandler (D-KY)
Cleaver (D-MO)
Connolly (D-VA)
Cooper (D-TN)
Costa (D-CA)
Cuellar (D-TX)
Davis (D-IL)
DeFazio (D-OR)
DeGette (D-CO)
Dicks (D-WA)
Fattah (D-PA)
Garamendi (D-CA)
Higgins (D-NY)
Himes (D-CT)
Hoyer (D-MD)
Kildee (D-MI)
Kind (D-WI)
Larsen (D-WA)
Larson (D-CT)
Lipinski (D-IL)
Loebsack (D-IA)
Maloney (D-NY)
Matheson (D-UT)
McIntyre (D-NC)
Meeks (D-NY)
Moran (D-VA)
Owens (D-NY)
Pascrell (D-NJ)
Perlmutter (D-CO)
Peters (D-MI)
Peterson (D-MN)
Pingree (D-ME)
Polis (D-CO)
Price, David (D-NC)
Quigley (D-IL)
Rahall (D-WV)
Ross, Mike (D-AR)
Rothman (D-NJ)
Ruppersberger (D-MD)
Schiff (D-CA)
Schrader (D-OR)
Schwartz (D-PA)
Sewell (D-AL)
Shuler (D-NC)
Smith, Adam (D-WA)
Thompson, Mike (D-CA)
Tsongas (D-MA)
Visclosky (D-IN)
Walz (D-MN)
Watt (D-NC)
Welch (D-VT)
Yarmuth (D-KY)

[BlueCaliDem]

1. Looks good. But tax increases for who? The poor or rich? eom

[subterranean]

2. Do you really need to ask?

They're all for making the poor pay more taxes if it means billionaires and big corporations can pay less.

[BrendaBrick]

3. I agree

This letter is too vague.

[progressoid]

4. Yup. n/t

[BlueCaliDem]

9. Exactly. Beware of Republicans bearing gifts. Or open to bi-partisanship. eom

[jwirr]

5. And 100 are not enough votes. Damn.

[Elsewheres Grandson]

6. Why didn't you list the vRepublicans?

We'd then know who to watch getting purged from the party.

[totodeinhere]

7. 60 House Democrats Sign Letter Saying They’re Open To Benefit Reductions

Your headline could have just as easily said that. So why the biased headline?

[rpannier]

8. I can give you two reasons

1. Republikkans never say they're okay with tax increases
2. DeFazio, Garemendi and Visclosky are not open to benefit reductions

[totodeinhere]

10. You don't think there are at least three Republicans who are not open to tax increases?

And we should be able to say that Democrats never say they're okay with deceasing benefits, but sadly, apparently some of them are whether or not the three you mentioned are not.

[rpannier]

11. Three Republikkans on the national stage that say they are for them - No

Especially since I think every republikkan in Congress has signed on to Nordquist's no new taxes pledge
As have every Republikkan running for president except Huntsman