The Young Guns book tour has been going very well in helping to promote our movement to bring new common-sense conservative leaders to Congress. For instance, Reps. Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan and I were on Sean Hannity’s show and on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. We also stopped by the offices of National Review, and had a very good discussion with Rich Lowry.

Let me also note the latest group of “Young Guns” were announced yesterday. The ranks of high-quality GOP House candidates are growing.

Today, I want to highlight one of our Young Gun Vanguard candidates – U.S. Air Force veteran Jeff Denham who is running in California’s 19th Congressional District. I’ve known Jeff ever since we both served together in the California state legislature. He’s been doing a great job making the case that we need to lower taxes to grow the economy.

The Democratic Leadership in Washington seems to have no qualms about raising taxes. If they aren’t growing government, they’re raising taxes. If they had their way, they seem as if they’d just let the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts expire. That would hurt families and prevent small businesses from creating jobs.

Jeff Denham rejects that liberal thinking. Recently in the Merced (CA) Sun-Star Jeff wrote,

“One thing Congress can do to really help is to make current tax rates on capital gains and dividends permanent. That would stabilize the economy, help protect jobs and give seniors, farmers, veterans and families access to their money on which they depend.”

Right now, the tax rate for long-term capital gains and dividends is 15%. If Congress doesn’t act, those rates would skyrocket.

Jeff points out that this wouldn’t just hit the rich. Many Americans have 401Ks that would suffer from higher capital gains taxes. Seniors who rely on dividend income would be hurt. Small businesses would see higher taxes, which would stop them from hiring people.

We’ve seen what DC is trying to do because it’s the same liberal model that Jeff and I fought against in California: higher taxes and more regulation that is killing job creation.

Raising taxes won’t grow the economy. House Republicans candidates like Jeff know we need to cut taxes along with government spending to help start the job-creating engine in the private sector.

Check out Jeff Denham’s web site. Also, leave a comment if you’ve seen any coverage of the Young Guns book tour. I want to know what you think.

Thanks,

Rep. Kevin McCarthy