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IowaPolitics.com: Romney, Hunter Avoid Veto Pledge
6/30/2007

By Chris Dorsey
IowaPolitics.com

DES MOINES -- Six of four GOP presidential candidates appearing at a conservative forum Saturday vowed to veto any tax increases were they to reach the Oval Office.

Mitt Romney and Duncan Hunter avoided making such a promise to the forum organized by Iowans for Tax Relief and the Iowa Christian Alliance.

``The best way to make economy strong is by keeping our taxes down,'' said Romney the former Massachusetts governor and the top candidate attending the forum. ``I want to make Bush tax cuts permanent. I want to end the death tax.''

California Congressman Duncan Hunter said: ``I have a record of voting for every major tax cuts. (But) if we have a war or an emergency, I don’t want to make a promise I might not be able to keep.''

But Republicans Tommy Thompson, Mike Huckabee, Sam Brownback and Tom Tancredo made the pledge.

And Tancredo, the Colorado congressman, so pleased the audience at Hy-Vee Hall with this and other answers that he was the only one to receive a standing ovation from most of the audience.

A seventh candidate, Texas Congressman Ron Paul, held a competing forum in the same building since he wasn't invited to the event.

See answers from the other six candidates on topics of interest to conservatives:

NO TAX INCREASE? During your term as President, will you veto ANY increase of ANY tax – including individual income taxes, corporate income taxes, payroll taxes, and excise taxes – and use your veto power to ensure continuation of all the tax relief enacted since January 2001 (for example, vetoing fiscal bills that should, but do not, continue this tax relief)? This question applies to any direct or indirect tax increase, such as repealing, limiting, or delaying income tax indexing. This question recognizes that ending any tax relief is an actual tax increase.

Tommy Thompson: I lower taxes, I don’t increase them. I lowered $16.5 billion in taxes in Wisconsin, more than all the other candidates together. I veto tax cuts, and I will veto any tax increase. No other candidate can make that pledge. The only way we can continue this prosperity is to have the taxpayers in America to have the money in their pocket. I am committed to continue this prosperity.

Mike Huckabee: I would. If we pass the fair tax, it solves many complicated tax issues. I would veto (a tax increase). We must send a strong message to Congress, the system is broken. It needs a complete overhaul.

Sen. Sam Brownback: No tax increases. I think we are taxed to the max. We need to cut spending, period. I would veto any tax increases. We don’t need any more taxes. I have never voted for a tax increase in the house or senate.

Mitt Romney: The best way to make the economy strong is by keeping our taxes down. I want to make Bush tax cuts permanent. I want to end the death tax.

Congressman Tom Tancredo: You bet your life I will.

Congressman Duncan Hunter: I can’t make that promise for a number of reasons. There may be an emergency. There may be a war. I have a record of voting for every major tax cuts. (But) if we have a war or an emergency, I don’t want to make a promise I might not be able to keep.

SPENDING CONTROL? During your term as President, will you submit budgets to Congress that will freeze total non-defense discretionary spending for at least the first two fiscal years beginning after the 2008 general election and will restrict any increase thereafter to no more than the inflation rate, veto any spending that exceeds this limit , and veto any bill that uses budgetary gimmicks (such as claiming non-emergency spending as emergency spending, or waiving budgetary rules restraining taxes and spending) to evade this limit?

Thompson: “I will lower the budget. I will put 10 percent into decreasing taxes.” He added he would ask every federal department – with the exception of defense and homeland security -- to present a budget that is 3 percent less than the previous year.

Huckabee: I would veto a bill that would increase our spending. What we do in Arkansas is no agency can spend 95 percent of the budgeted amount unless there are extraordinary circumstances. Turn the lights on and have a transparent expenditure system. Governors can't deficit spend. I made sure we did not overspend.

Brownback: We have to get our spending under control. Republicans were fired after the last election cycle because of spending. I don’t think Democrats were hired, we were fired. We spend $2.9 trillion as a federal government that is enough spending. I have never heard anyone running for office say I am for wasteful government spending, yet it exists.

Romney: We are spending too much money in Washington. We are spending more than we take in. We are spending too much on entitlement programs. We are spending too much on foreign oil.

Tancredo: Absolutely I will do so. It is important to recognize our need to control spending. I have voted for nearly every appropriations bill since I have been there. We need structural changes in Social Security and Medicare in order to get a handle on spending and the deficit.

Hunter: I have already proposed a freeze on non-discretionary spending. The Chinese are going to challenge us in (outer) space. We may to have to increase defense spending.

MARRIAGE? Recently, a gay-rights questionnaire was sent and returned in which those presidential candidates said the federal government should recognize any same sex marriage, civil unions or domestic partnerships issued by any state. These candidates also said that federal benefits, rights and privileges, joint income tax, the Family and Medical Leave Act and all other federal laws should be extended to same sex couples. Will you promise as President to enforce the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which was passed by Congress, to prohibit any federal recognition of same sex unions?

Thompson: I believe marriage is between a man and a woman.

Huckabee: The strength of our country comes from our family. Marriage is between one man and one woman and a lifetime relationship. When they want to define what marriage is they invite everyone into the conversation. It has come to a point for a constitutional amendment. It is the foundation of a free and civilized society.

Brownback: I support marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Period. I believe we need a constitutional amendment that marriage is between a man and a woman. Other countries have redefined marriage and what that has done has driven down the number of people getting married. I opposed same sex civil unions.

Romney: I have been in a state that has same sex marriage. They focus on adult rights. They think marriage deals solely with adults. One of the principles of marriage is the development of children. We are dealing with children and the development of our society. This issue about same sex marriage is not just about adults, it is about our children.

Tancredo: Absolutely. This is an interesting and challenging issue. The government does not have a role in who your care about. It has the responsibility to affirm the concept of marriage between a man and woman. This nuclear family concept is something society has gravitated to for years.

Hunter: Yes, I have voted on that as a member of Congress. There is no substitute the confidence moms and dad give their children. Traditional marriage is the foundation of America.

SECURE BORDERS? To secure our borders, will you build the 700-mile fence called for in the Secure Fence Act, implement an entry-exit system (to be sure that visitors go home on time), and implement an electronic instant employer verification system?

Thompson: ``The only way to solve the illegal immigration, build a barrier and have a non-tamper-proof ID system.” He added he supports erecting a fence along the border.

Huckabee: I am convinced the single most important thing is to build a physical border. I would absolutely insist on that and lead on that. I am not mad at the immigrants, I am mad at the federal government that has sat on its hands for the past 20 years.

Brownback: We must secure our borders. I support building the fence and funding the fence. I have voted that way and will continue to vote that way. That is not enough, we must have interior enforcement. We have to enforce the system.

Romney: I am in favor of building a fence and having a secure border. I am in favor of electronic verification system. The big debate is those who have already came here illegally.

Tancredo: Let’s see, 750 miles of fence. We have 2,000 miles of border. Then, I want to start on the northern border and see what we can get done. That fence has improved the quality of life. We should train our military to protect our borders.

Hunter: As president of the United States, I will complete that fence in six months. He added, since the fence near San Diego was completed, drug trafficking in the area is down and crime along the border has decreased by nearly 53 percent.

STEM CELL RESEARCH? As President, will you veto any taxpayer financing of stem cell research that involves the creation or destruction of human embryos?

Thompson: I am absolutely opposed to the destruction of embryos whatsoever. You can do that research in embryonic fluid and spinal cord blood. You need a Republican you can understand and share that vision.

Huckabee: I believe in the sanctity of human life. I did not become pro-life because of politics. I got into politics because of my values and convictions. We are a pro-life nation. We value life. I would veto legislation to create a life for the sole purpose of research.

Brownback: Absolutely. I have been the tip of the spear on this fight. All human life is sacred. This is a sinful, moral issue of our day. We have to fight for life, and now is not the time to stop fighting for life. We don’t need to hurt the weak to help the strong.

Romney: The place I want to spend money on research is directory programming. We have alternatives to create these stem cells.

Tancredo: I most certainly will. As technology has developed, there is no need to kill an embryo. It is not necessary.

Hunter: Yes, absolutely.

FAIR TAX? As president, will you sign the "FairTax" (currently, HR 25/S 1025) into law if passed by Congress?

Thompson: I will sign it as soon as it reaches my desk. I believe very much in that fair tax. I think the fair tax is the right thing. I absolutely believe the way the Congress is set up right now, we can’t get it passed.

Huckabee: I would like April 15 to be another beautiful spring day in America. I would rally this country to approve the fair tax. I want a tax that doesn’t penalize people for getting married and having kids. The fair tax gives us a chance to revive our economy.

Brownback: I cannot respond to the specific bill. If it is pro-growth and family friendly, I would sign it. I think we are going to have more difficulty getting to a fair tax system. (He proposed a flat tax, which he says is easier to achieve.)

Romney: I like taxation that is simpler and family friendly. We need to keep our rates down. I believe savings for middle-income people should be tax free. I want to look at the fair tax, but I will fight for the things I describe.

Tancredo: Of course I will. If I am a co-sponsor, it is pretty sure I will sign it into law.

Hunter: I can’t tell you how important this is to keep our industry in the United States. We have to take manufacturing taxes to zero.


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