Gorman Calls For Gas Tax Holiday, No New Tax Pledge, Making Tax Cuts Permanent

(Shreveport, LA) – In an effort to help families, farmers and truckers facing record prices at the pump, leading Republican Congressional candidate Chris Gorman joined with GOP presidential nominee Senator John McCain in calling for a national gas tax “holiday” this summer. The tax break, which would run from Memorial Day to Labor Day, would be an immediate help to the pocketbooks of everyone in the Fourth Congressional District and beyond.

“I am proud to join with Senator McCain in calling for this much needed emergency tax break for our working families and businesses,” Gorman said. “Diesel is already above four dollars per gallon in most places and gasoline is forecast to hit that level over the summer. Our federal government can take the lead on this issue and, in the short term, help everyone whose budget is squeezed by rising prices.”

The federal gasoline tax is currently 18.4 cents per gallon while the federal tax on diesel stands at 24.4 cents per gallon.

Today, Gorman signed a pledge from the nation’s leading tax reform group, Americans For Tax Reform, stating his intention to vote against new taxes when elected to Congress. “With prices climbing and the size of government growing everyday, I am amazed that some in Congress want to raise taxes on our families and businesses,” Gorman said. “Now is the time for tax relief – not new taxes.”

Gorman also called on Congress to make tax cuts instituted by President George W. Bush in 2001 and 2003 permanent. Several key tax cuts are slated to return over the next five years – including the “marriage penalty” and higher taxes on dividends and capital gains in 2009. “Now, more than ever, our federal government needs to tax less and put more money in the pockets of our families and businesses,” Gorman said. “I support making the President’s tax cuts permanent because of the strong signal it will send throughout the marketplace. Families can make strong investments for their futures and our businesses can more confidently purchase equipment and hire more workers knowing these taxes cannot be raised.”