PRESS RELEASE from Iowans for Tax Relief
 

Iowans for Tax Relief, Iowa Christian Alliance: Updated line-up for June 30 presidential candidates forum
6/19/2007

Event Contact:
  Katie Koberg
  Public Relations Director, Iowans for Tax Relief, 515-875-4936

DES MOINES, IA— Iowans for Tax Relief (ITR) and the Iowa Christian Alliance (ICA) are hosting a Presidential Candidates Forum on Saturday, June 30, 2007 in Des Moines, Iowa.

ITR and ICA are non-partisan organizations with combined memberships of over 55,000 Iowa voters.  Our members are motivated by tax relief and social issues; we are creating a platform for our members to hear the various candidates speak.  All credible Democrat and Republican Presidential candidates were invited.

Confirmed Candidate UPDATE; Congressman Hunter will be speaking in Governor Gilmore’s absence.

UPDATED Speaking Order:
                             1:30pm Honorable Tommy Thompson
                             2:05pm Governor Mike Huckabee
                             2:40pm Senator Sam Brownback
                             3:15pm Governor Mitt Romney
                             3:50pm Congressman Tom Tancredo
                            4:25pm Congressman Duncan Hunter

Event Schedule:

Candidates will have 20 minutes to address the audience and 10 minutes for clarification on six questions that have been sent to the campaigns.  Clarification will be asked by David Stanley, ITR Chairman and Steve Scheffler, ICA President.  The questions are listed below for you.

Event Details:

Saturday, June 30, 2007
1:00pm- 5:00pm
Iowa Events Center; Hy-Vee Hall
730 Third Street
Des Moines, IA 50309

Questions to be answered by the candidates:

1.  NO TAX INCREASE?  During your term as President, will you veto ANY increase of ANY tax – including individual income taxes, corporate income taxes, payroll taxes, and excise taxes – and use your veto power to ensure continuation of all the tax relief enacted since January 2001 (for example, vetoing fiscal bills that should, but do not, continue this tax relief)?  This question applies to any direct or indirect tax increase, such as repealing, limiting, or delaying income tax indexing.  This question recognizes that ending any tax relief is an actual tax increase.

2.  SPENDING CONTROL?  During your term as President, will you submit budgets to Congress that will freeze total non-defense discretionary spending for at least the first two fiscal years beginning after the 2008 general election and will restrict any increase thereafter to no more than the inflation rate, veto any spending that exceeds this limit , and veto any bill that uses budgetary gimmicks (such as claiming non-emergency spending as emergency spending, or waiving budgetary rules restraining taxes and spending) to evade this limit?

3.  MARRIAGE?  Recently, a gay-rights questionnaire was sent and returned in which those presidential candidates said the federal government should recognize any same sex marriage, civil unions or domestic partnerships issued by any state.

These candidates also said that federal benefits, rights and privileges, joint income tax, the Family and Medical Leave Act and all other federal laws should be extended to same sex couples.

Will you promise as President to enforce the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which was passed by Congress, to prohibit any federal recognition of same sex unions?

4.  SECURE BORDERS? To secure our borders, will you build the 700-mile fence called for in the Secure Fence Act, implement an entry-exit system (to be sure that visitors go home on time), and implement an electronic instant employer verification system?

5.  STEM CELL RESEARCH? As President, will you veto any taxpayer financing of stem cell research that involves the creation or destruction of human embryos?

6.  FAIR TAX? As president, will you sign the "FairTax" (currently, HR 25/S 1025) into law if passed by Congress?