Rand Paul and Ted Cruz on Friday signed a pledge not to raise raise taxes, becoming the first presidential candidates to do so.
The pledge, drawn up by the conservative group Americans for Tax Reform, includes a promise directed to the public to “oppose and veto any and all efforts to increase taxes.”
“Senator Paul understands that government should be reformed so that it takes and spends less of the taxpayers’ money, and will oppose tax increases that paper over and continue the failures of the past,” said Grover Norquist, president of the group and long-time anti-tax crusader. Norquist later issued a similar statement for Cruz, who signed the pledge shortly thereafter.
Both Paul, a Kentucky Republican known for his libertarian views, and Cruz, a conservative who represents Texas, have made it clear they advocate lower taxes.
In March, Paul said that he would propose “the largest tax cut in American history.” Now a declared candidate for the presidency, Paul has yet to announce the details of his tax plan, but it is expected to be a “flat tax,” which would impose one low rate on all earners, exempting some amount of income.
The other prominent declared candidate on the Republican side, Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, has yet to sign the pledge.
Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor who is planning a campaign, has said that he will not sign Americans for Tax Reform’s pledge, or any other group’s pledge.
Americans for Tax Reform boasts that 49 U.S. senators and 218 members of the House have signed the pledge. Both Paul and Cruz signed it as candidates for Senate, and have kept it, the group said.
This post has been updated to include Cruz signing the pledge.
