Rep. Mike Pence (R., Indiana) just announced that he will not vote for the tax compromise.
Saying that “the American people did not vote for more stimulus,” and higher deficits and debt, Pence told Sean Hannity, “I will not vote for this tax deal.”
“I’ve no doubt in my mind that the first order of business for the new Congress [if the compromise does not pass] … will be to enact a bill that extends all the current tax rates on a permanent basis,” Pence continued. “We’ll do it. We’ll send it to the Senate if this bill falters. There’s always time to do the right thing.”
Admitting that choosing a position on this compromise was “a tough call,” Pence talked about how he hoped to get an up-or-down vote in the House on his bill to extend the Bush tax cuts permanently. Noting that House Democrats had had their vote “on raising taxes on Americans making 250,000 or over,” Pence said he planned to argue that House Republicans deserved the same chance to vote on the permanent extension.
“We ought to have an up or down vote on extending unemployment benefits, [but] we ought to pay for it,” Pence added. “The best thing we can do for unemployed … is put permanence into the tax code.”
“I believe this is a bad deal for taxpayers, and it will do little to create jobs,” he concluded.
Other House Republicans that oppose the compromise include Reps. Steve King (R., Iowa) and Michele Bachmann (R., Minn.)