Will Lincoln Fight Against Middle Class Tax Hikes To Pay For Democrats’ Health Care Proposal?

Tuesday, 30 June 2009 08:03

WASHINGTON – The White House yesterday refused to rule out tax hikes on the middle-class to pay for health care for the second straight day – something President Obama pledged he would never do as a candidate on the campaign trail. The White House’s waffling comes during the same week that U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) is conducting health care events across Arkansas during the congressional recess.

“As Blanche Lincoln tours the state talking about health care, her constituents deserve to know: Will she support the White House’s government-run plan, which could cost a trillion dollars and raise taxes for middle class families? Or will she stand up for Arkansans and renounce any plan that breaks the President’s pledge that he will not increase taxes on those making less than $250,000 a year?” asked National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokeswoman Amber Wilkerson.  “Voters have a right to know where Senator Lincoln stands on this critical issue, which will affect small businesses and middle class families across Arkansas.”

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs refuse to reiterate the President’s pledge that he will not increase taxes on those making less than $250,000 a year:

Then candidate Barack Obama’s campaign pledge that he will not increase taxes on Americans making less than $250,000 a year:

Full Transcript of Q&A From White House Press Briefing (6/29/09):

Question: “Robert, I just want to ask about health care. Yesterday, on ABC, David Axelrod was asked repeatedly about whether the President would veto any health reform bill that had the tax on people making – a tax increase on anybody making under $250,000 per year. So I want to give you a chance as well. Will the President veto – will the President veto a health bill that has–”

Gibbs: “You know, here’s what – I think we get this question once a week in some form or another.  I think, in many ways, Ed, what marks the difference between this health care effort and other health care efforts in the past is what – exactly what the President described: a very large table with people sitting at it trying to solve a problem that we’ve been working on for 40 years. The good news is we’re making significant progress and all those people are still sitting at the table.  We haven’t drawn a lot of bright lines.  We understand there’s some flexibility on the part of Congress to work through some of these policy issues, and we’re going to allow that process to continue to make – that process to continue in order to make progress.”

Question: “That would be true, but the president in the campaign said that – he made flat pledge that he would not raise taxes on anybody making under 250(000 dollars). So is that pledge still operable?”

Gibbs: “Well, again, I think in some ways your question is hypothetical, because there are any number of different bills, different proposals. I think the President has outlined what he believes is the very best way to pay for health care.”

Question: “It doesn’t have to be hypothetical.  He made a pledge.”

Gibbs: “I understand.”

Question: “He said I’m not going to raise taxes on anyone making under 250(000 dollars). Is that pledge still active?”

Gibbs: “We are going to let the process work its way through.”

Question: “So it’s not.”

Question: “So it’s not.”

Question: “So it’s not.”

Gibbs: “We’re going to let the process work its way through.”