Americans for Tax Reform, Gibbs Misleads Public on Obama’s Broken Tax Pledge:
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs seems to have forgotten that his boss has already broken his central campaign promise – a “firm pledge” that “no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes.”
Responding to a question during his daily press briefing today, Gibbs said, “The President believes raising taxes on the middle class during this economic time would not make a lot of economic sense.”
But President Obama has already broken his “firm pledge” at least eight times:
- 156% Federal Tobacco Tax Hike (took effect April 1, 2009)
- 10% Tax on Indoor Tanning Services (took effect July 1, 2010)
- The “Medicine Cabinet Tax” (takes effect Jan. 1, 2011)
- The HSA Withdrawal Tax Hike (from 10% to 20%) (takes effect Jan. 1, 2011)
- The“Special Needs Kids Tax” ($2,500 cap on FSAs) (takes effect Jan. 1, 2013)
- The Obamacare Medical Prosthetics and Devices Tax (takes effect in Jan. 1, 2013)
- The Medical Itemized Deductions Cap (from 7.5% to 10%) (takes effect Jan. 1, 2013)
- The Obamacare Individual Mandate Excise Tax (up to $2,085 or 2.5% of AGI) (takes effect Jan. 1, 2014)
Tax Foundation, How Would President Obama's Tax Plan Raise Tax Payments for a Couple Earning $250,000 or Less?
