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NO COMPROMISE: Rep. Mike Pompeo is urging his fellow Republicans to stand strong against demands to increase taxes on wealthy Americans.
By Travis Perry │ Kansas Watchdog
OSAWATOMIE — Kansas Republican Rep. Mike Pompeo showcased a unique blend of optimistic pessimism while fielding questions from reporters during a conference call discussing the so-called “fiscal cliff” Thursday morning.
“The two sides are incredibly far apart,” Pompeo said.
“They (Democrats) are absolutely fixated on raising rates on the so-called rich,” he added. “It’s the only thing they’ll talk about, it’s the only thing that’s relevant to their negotiating tactics.”
Pompeo criticized Democrats for indecision about what level of wealth should be taxed at a higher rate, citing it as a source of deep fractures within the party. However, the congressman also downplayed apparent issues among Republicans, as a number of GOP legislators have started to align with proposals from President Barack Obama.
“You always hear voices that have different perspectives within our party,” Pompeo said. “My observation is that the Democrats are intensely divided.”
But that doesn’t mean he’s looking to compromise anytime soon, adding that he “hopes we as Republicans will stand firm.”
“We are hopeful we can convince the White House that what we’re talking about is the right direction of travel, but I’ll be honest, (Obama’s) U.S. senate has yet to vote on his plan.”
Contact Travis Perry at travis@kansaswatchdog.org, or follow him on Twitter at @muckraker62.
