Chris Christie presidential campaign, 2016/Taxes
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 Chris Christie |
Governor of New Jersey (2010-2018) U.S. Attorney for New Jersey (2002-2008) |
 Republican candidate: |
2028 • 2024 • 2020 • 2016 |
This page was current as of the 2016 election.
- On January 9, 2016, Chris Christie advocated for doubling the earned income tax credit, a tax break designed to help the poor, while speaking at an anti-poverty forum. "If people decide to go out there, they're going to be making more money working than they're going to be sitting on their couch. That's where you have to do these things. Give work incentives so the people get back to work,” he said.[1]
- At the fourth Republican primary debate on November 10, 2015, Christie discussed his position on taxes. He said, "And, let's be clear, if we do not change course, if we follow the President's lead, and that's exactly what Secretary Clinton will do, we're going to be in the same circumstance -- with government picking the winners and losers. So, let me be clear about what we'll do. First, make the tax code fairer, flatter, and simplier [sic]. Get rid of all the special interest deductions. You know, the American people feel like the tax code is rigged for the rich, and you know why they feel that way? Because it is. We'll get rid of all those special interest deductions except for the home mortgage interest deduction, and the charitable contribution deduction. Everyone will get lower rates, keep more of their own money, be able to file their tax returns in 15 minutes, and, by the way, the good thing, I'll be able to fire a whole bunch of IRS agents once we do that."[2]
- At a campaign stop in Iowa on October 21, 2015, Christie said that tax deductions should be eliminated except for home-mortgage interest and charitable contributions. He said, “Most people in this country now feel — they have a feeling, they don’t know for sure — but they feel like the tax system in our country is rigged for the rich. The reason they think that is because it is. The tax system is rigged for the rich. Only people with great lawyers and great accountants and a lot of money get to take advantage of it.”[3]
- In September 2015, Christie opposed an increase to New Jersey’s gas tax if it was not accompanied by other tax cuts. Christie said Republican state legislators should be focused on negotiating around inheritance and sales taxes.[4]
- Christie unveiled his tax plan in a May 11, 2015, op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, several weeks before his June 30, 2015, announcement that he would seek the GOP nomination for president.[5] Under the plan, Christie proposed cutting the number of tax brackets to three and lowering the top rate to 28 percent from the current 39 percent top rate. The plan would also lower the corporate rate to 25 percent from the current 35 percent top rate. Christie's plan would be revenue-neutral, meaning it would not increase the deficit, and it would limit some deductions and credits, while keeping others, such as, deductions for charitable contributions and interest on home mortgages. [6] [7]
- On August 21, 2015, three advocacy groups sued Christie for paying for his security detail’s travel expenses with taxpayer money as he campaigned outside of New Jersey for president.[8]
- Christie signed the Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge on August 12, 2015, promising to “oppose and veto any and all efforts to increase taxes.”[9]
- Christie received a grade of B by the Cato Institute. Cato commended him for vetoing an income tax increase passed in the legislature and for later proposing an across-the-board 10 percent income tax cut. Christie's score was lowered due to a few bad spending decisions and because he passed narrow tax breaks that added to the already cluttered tax code.[10]
- In Christie's budget for the 2015 fiscal year, he proposed various "tax policy adjustments" and "fees" in order to balance the budget. Christie denied that the budget would implement any new or increased taxes, but others, such as Assembly Budget Chairman Gary Schaer, said that these fees were merely taxes in disguise. Schaer explained, "Revenue enhancements, call them what you want, it's new taxes... That's what the governor is proposing. I'm sure he's not happy about proposing it. Most of the people I'm talking to are even less happy about paying it."[11]
- Although Christie voted to raise the county's open space tax while serving as a county freeholder, the overall county taxes decreased 6.6 percent during his tenure from 1995 to 1998.[12]
Recent news
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See also
Footnotes
- ↑ CBS News, "Chris Christie: Poverty can be 'a difficult thing to talk about,'" January 9, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Transcript: Fox Business undercard GOP debate," November 10, 2015
- ↑ Omaha.com, "In Iowa, Chris Christie says tax code is ‘rigged for the rich,’" October 22, 2015
- ↑ NJ.com, "Christie vows no N.J. gas tax hike without other tax cuts," September 28, 2015
- ↑ Wall Street Journal, "My Plan to Raise Growth and Incomes," May 11, 2015
- ↑ CNN Politics, "Christie lays out tax reform plan ahead of New Hampshire speech," May 12, 2015
- ↑ CBS News, "Chris Christie unveils plan for taxes, regulations, energy," May 12, 2015
- ↑ Business Insider, "Advocacy groups sue Gov. Christie over travel security costs," August 21, 2015
- ↑ The Washington Times, "Chris Christie signs Grover Norquist’s no-tax pledge," August 12, 2015
- ↑ Cato Institute, “Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors: 2012," accessed December 9, 2014
- ↑ Philly.com, “Christie: 'Fees,' fixes are not taxes," April 14, 2014
- ↑ NJ.com, “GOP candidate Chris Christie launched political career as Morris County freeholder," May 11, 2009
