Sen. Rand Paul on Raising Taxes: Lawmakers 'Will Suffer Repercussions' If They Go Back on Norquist Pledge

Union members are protesting on Capitol Hill to push for more spending. The union leaders don’t want lawmakers to touch entitlements, but they do want lawmakers to hike taxes on the wealthy. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) made a commitment to voters in his state that he’s in favor of cutting spending and against raising taxes.

The senator told Neil Cavuto today on Your World, “I’m still perplexed by this whole idea that a fiscal cliff occurs when you sequester or cut federal spending. I thought that was a good thing. I thought we need

to cut more spending.”

• Grover Norquist Reacts to GOP’s Growing Resistance to Anti-Tax Pledge
• Laura Ingraham: Republicans Should Expect a 2014 ‘Wipeout’ If They Compromise on Taxes Without Getting Real Spending Cuts
• Details: Who Is Grover Norquist and What Is the Taxpayer Protection Pledge?

When it comes to raising taxes on the wealthy, Sen. Paul pointed out that while it may be only one percent of the people, they make up 40 percent of the economy. He had a message to Republican lawmakers who are considering raising taxes, saying, “I think they should be reminded they took a pledge to voters in their state, they campaigned on it; […] we believe in stimulating the economy by leaving more in the economy.”

Sen. Paul thinks the majority of Americans do understand that their boss may make more money than them, but if forced to pay even more in taxes, that could cost jobs and stifle hiring. He’s also a “huge fan” of Grover Norquist’s tax pledge and added that “if [lawmakers] go back on their word, you know I think they’ll suffer the repercussions in their next election.”