Questions for the Candidates

This Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa, the Republican presidential candidates will debate for one of the last times before the Iowa caucuses on January 3. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has several questions we would like to see the candidates answer.

1. Do you support a one-year extension of the two-percent payroll tax cut, and if so, how would you pay for it?
2. Do you think that Congress should hold an up-or-down vote on the Simpson-Bowles plan to reduce the Federal debt?
3. Do you support maintaining the “trigger” mechanism that will require $1.2 trillion in spending cuts over ten years due to the failure of the Super Committee to adopt a deficit reduction plan? How would you deal with it as president?
4. If Congress sent you a tax-reform bill that lowered every American's income tax rate; with a top rate of 25 percent; that eliminated all tax deductions; and that kept these Federal tax revenues steady and did not hurt the deficit; would you sign or veto such a bill? Why or why not?