House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). (AP Photo)
(CNSNews.com) – House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) ruled out tax increases in a future budget deal with President Obama, telling NBC’s David Gregory that the president would “get nothing” from the GOP on taxes.
In a dispute with Gregory on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, McCarthy said the GOP would not give in on raising taxes as President Obama wants, repeating that the House Republicans would not support further tax increases beyond what was passed in January to avoid the fiscal cliff.
Gregory: “Is there any ratio of spending cuts to tax increases that any Republican is actually prepared to support?"
McCarthy: “... There are no new tax increases because you don't need it. If you look at this report—”
Gregory: “But you're never going to get entitlement reform--"
McCarthy: “You're going to get nothing.”
McCarthy pointed out that Republicans had already agreed to $600 billion in new revenues over the next decade as part of the deal to avoid the fiscal cliff in January, agreeing to allow the Bush-era tax rates on those making $400,000 or more to expire. Now, McCarthy said, the GOP would be firm on demanding spending cuts.
“Every viewer that's watching today that's working, already got a tax increase. The president took $600 billion of this economy. He talks about a balanced plan, but he never talked about cutting,” he said.
Both the House and the Senate are working on dueling budget resolutions for the first time in nearly four years, after Senate Democrats finally agreed to produce a budget for fiscal year 2014, which begins on Oct. 1. Democrats and President Obama have called for a package that mixes spending cuts with an equal amount of tax increases.
Republicans, meanwhile, have steadfastly refused to agree to any further tax increases, arguing that the revenue raise in January is as far as they will go.