Club for Growth opposes tax break deal

The Club for Growth on Tuesday urged lawmakers to oppose a temporary extension of tax breaks that expired at the end of 2013.

{mosads}The House is moving toward such a plan, after broader talks between GOP lawmakers and Senate Democrats broke down after a President Obama veto threat.

But the Club for Growth, a pro-free-market group that has sway among congressional Republicans, said it could give demerits to lawmakers who back any bill that restores the expired tax breaks.

“This legislation is mainly a hodge-podge of special interest earmarks in the federal tax code. Thankfully, these extenders expired at the end of 2013, so the best thing Congress can do now is nothing,” the Club’s Andy Roth wrote to congressional offices.

“House and Senate leaders should cancel consideration of this bill and instead call for broad, pro-growth tax reform that will lower rates and remove other burdensome carveouts in the tax code.”

GOP lawmakers have blamed the White House for undercutting the broader deal and said that a one-year deal is likely the only practical way to extend the expired tax breaks now. More than 50 tax breaks in all expired at the end of 2013, including popular provisions for businesses like the research credit and incentives for individuals that help homeowners who are behind on their mortgage.

House Democrats have said they’ll also likely support the one-year deal, calling it preferable to the deal between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) that was emerging last week.

The Club for Growth also opposed a deal crafted by Senate tax writers this spring to extend the expired breaks through 2015.