Norquist endorses GOP picks for deficit panel: ‘Your wallet is safe’

Grover Norquist, the president of the tax advocacy group Americans for Tax Reform, on Wednesday endorsed the GOP appointments to the deficit-reduction “supercommittee.”

“[House Speaker John] Boehner [R-Ohio] and [Senate Minority Leader Mitch] McConnell [R-Ky.] appoint friends of taxpayers to the ‘Debt Super Committee’ your wallet is safe,” Norquist tweeted.

All six of the supercommittee’s Republican members have signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge that is the signature of Norquist’s group.

Lawmakers who sign the pledge promise to oppose efforts to increase income tax rates. They also pledge to refuse to eliminate tax credits or deductions without matching it dollar-for-dollar with tax reductions.

Boehner and McConnell announced their appointments to the supercommittee Wednesday.

Boehner appointed GOP Reps. Dave Camp (Mich.), Fred Upton (Mich.) and Jeb Hensarling (Texas), while McConnell’s picks were Republican Sens. Jon Kyl (Ariz.), Rob Portman (Ohio) and Pat Toomey (Pa.).

Norquist’s organization played a key role in the recent debt-limit negotiations. Many said the group’s tax pledge, signed by nearly every Republican in Congress, was a roadblock to a deficit deal that included new federal revenue.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) picks for the supercommittee — Democratic Sens. Max Baucus (Mont.), John Kerry (Mass.) and Patty Murray (Wash.) — have not signed the pledge.

The pledge has been a target of criticism from Democrats and caused friction within the Republican Party, as some see closing tax loopholes and eliminating credits as efficient ways to reform the tax code, while others consider them backdoor tax hikes.

Both will likely be significant discussion points as supercommittee members seek to balance competing demands to increase revenue but not raise taxes. Reid has said tax increases need to be on the table as part of a final deal.

The panel is tasked with presenting a deficit-reduction package to Congress before Thanksgiving that recommends at least $1.5 trillion in deficit cuts.

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