Obama for America

DEBATE REALITY CHECK: MCCAIN VOTED FOR NEARLY 500 TAX INCREASES

Tonight, Joe Biden said: “Using the standard that the governor uses, John McCain voted 477 times to raise taxes. It is a bogus standard.” [Vice Presidential Debate, 10/2/08]

FACT: MCCAIN SUPPORTED NEARLY 500 TAX INCREASES THROUGHOUT HIS LEGISLATIVE CAREER

· McCain Supported Nearly 500 Tax Increases Throughout His Career Including 105 Tax Increases Since 2005. Despite Senator McCain's rhetoric, he has supported nearly 500 tax increases throughout his Congressional career. McCain supported 105 tax increases since 2005. McCain’s tax increases included: twice supporting increased excise taxes imposed on public charities, supporting an excise tax on certain acquisitions of interest in insurance, and twice supporting an expansion on the base of the tax on private foundation net investment income. [H.R. 4297, 2/2/06; Joint Committee on Taxation on H.R. 4297, http://www.house.gov/jct/x-9-06.pdf, 2/8/06; S. 2020, 11/18/05; Joint Committee on Taxation S. 2020; http://www.house.gov/jct/x-82-05r.pdf, 11/29/05; Joint Committee on Taxation documents; Thomas.gov]

· During McCain’s Senate Tenure, He Supported Multiple Tax Increases on Items from Airline Tickets to Vaccines. During his Senate tenure, McCain has supported taxes on vaccines four times, twice supported a three percent telephone excise tax on certain prepaid phone cards, supported raising airline tickets three times including twice supporting doubling the international departure tax on airline tickets and twice supported raising taxes on tobacco products. [H.R. 2488, 8/5/99; Joint Committee on Taxation Report on H.R. 2488, http://www.house.gov/jct/x-61-99r.pdf , 8/5/99; S. 1429, 7/30/99; Joint Committee on Taxation Report on S. 1429, http://www.house.gov/jct/x-55-99.pdf, 7/23/99; H.R. 2014, 6/27/97; Joint Committee on Taxation Report on H.R. 2014 and H.R. 2015, http://www.house.gov/jct/x-36-97.pdf, 7/1/97; H.R. 2676, 5/7/98; Joint Committee on Taxation Report on H.R. 2676, http://www.house.gov/jct/x-51-98.htm , 6/24/98; H.R. 2014, 7/31/97; Joint Committee on Taxation Report on H.R. 2014, http://www.house.gov/jct/x-39-97.pdf, 7/30/97; H.R. 3299, 10/13/89; Joint Committee on Taxation Report on H.R. 3299, 11/21/89; H.R. 2015, 7/31/97 ]

· McCain Supported Raising Taxes on Vaccines Four Times. McCain supported a uniform tax on vaccines, twice supported taxes on the Streptococcus Pneumoniae vaccine, and also supported a tax on vaccines for Rotavirus Gastroenteritis. [H.R. 2488, 8/5/99; Joint Committee on Taxation Report on H.R. 2488, http://www.house.gov/jct/x-61-99r.pdf , 8/5/99; S. 1429, 7/30/99; Joint Committee on Taxation Report on S. 1429, http://www.house.gov/jct/x-55-99.pdf, 7/23/99; H.R. 2014, 6/27/97; Joint Committee on Taxation Report on H.R. 2014, http://www.house.gov/jct/x-36-97.pdf, 7/1/97; H.R. 2676, 5/7/98; Joint Committee on Taxation Report on H.R. 2676, http://www.house.gov/jct/x-51-98.htm , 6/24/98]

· McCain Twice Supported Imposing Taxes on Phone Cards. During McCain’s Senate tenure, he has twice supported a three percent telephone excise tax on certain prepaid phone cards. [H.R. 2014, 7/31/97; Joint Committee on Taxation Report on H.R. 2014 and 2015, http://www.house.gov/jct/x-39-97.pdf, 7/30/97; H.R. 2014, 6/27/97; Joint Committee on Taxation Report on H.R. 2014, http://www.house.gov/jct/x-36-97.pdf, 7/1/97]

· McCain Supported Three Tax Increases on Airline Tickets. McCain supported three tax increases on airline tickets including twice supporting the doubling the international departure tax on airlines. [H.R. 2014, 7/31/97; Joint Committee on Taxation Report on H.R. 2014, http://www.house.gov/jct/x-39-97.pdf, 7/30/97; H.R. 2014, 6/27/97; Joint Committee on Taxation Report on H.R. 2014 and 2015, http://www.house.gov/jct/x-36-97.pdf , 7/1/97; H.R. 3299, 10/13/89; Joint Committee on Taxation Report on H.R. 3299, 11/21/89]

· 1997: McCain Twice Voted to Support Increasing Taxes on Tobacco Products. McCain supported two tax increases on tobacco products in 1997. [H.R. 2015, 7/31/97; H.R. 2014, 6/27/97; Joint Committee on Taxation Report on H.R. 2014 and 2015, http://www.house.gov/jct/x-36-97.pdf, 7/1/97]