Gastonia, NC – Congressman Patrick McHenry today continued to campaign on his plan to fix the country’s broken tax code, while also calling into question Representative Patsy Keever’s own plan to raise taxes.

“Our antiquated tax code is broken. It’s failing small businesses and families across the country,” said Congressman McHenry. “That’s why I’ve fought for pro-growth tax reform that will lower rates and help turn our economy around. The last thing that hardworking people across western North Carolina need now are the kinds of tax increases my opponent is advocating.”

Keever, who has voted to raise tax revenue over 20 times during her time in government, has said that she would work on lowering deficits by implementing the so-called Buffet Rule and other tax increases. Nonpartisan fact checkers have estimated that the Buffet Rule would only raise enough revenue to cover one week of interest payments on the national debt.

Keever has also touted an endorsement from the Congressional Progressive Caucus, who put forth a budget that includes $2.8 trillion dollars in tax increases. The budget, which increases taxes $5 trillion more than President Obama’s own proposal, would roll back all of the Bush tax cuts, essentially raising taxes on every single American.

Seniors, small business owners, and farmers would be hit especially hard under the Keever-Progressive Caucus Budget. Seniors and those living on fixed retirement income would see their taxes nearly doubled as the capital gains tax is increases to income tax levels. Small business owners and farmers would struggle to pass on the family business to future generations under the plan, which raises the Estate Tax to 45%.

“Representative Keever’s reckless tax hikes are wrong for western North Carolina and wrong for the country,” Congressman McHenry continued. “We need a fairer, flatter tax code that helps turn our economy around and lets hard working Americans keep more of their pay check, not less.”