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Norquist to Obama: Can't Argue Mandate When Own Party Won't Pass 'Your Budget'

December 23, 2012

Grover Norquist responded to George Stephanopoulos' contention that Obama's November election victory should give the president leverage in the fiscal cliff negotiations on ABC this morning:

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: This gets to an issue which others have brought up during the week. It is -- you're right, Congressman Ryan's plan passed the House but there has been an election and House Republicans are only one part of of Washington right now.

GROVER NORQUIST: And the president is only one part. The Republicans actually passed a budget that -- not a budget, not just a budget but a budget plan that goes out through the years, gives you entitlement reform and pro-growth tax reform and doesn't have to raise taxes, the left wants to raise taxes but you don't have to balance the budget and take the debt down. They have a plan. They've passed it and got re-elected having done that. The Senate got re-elected because they never voted on anything - it's the only way they were able to get re-elected. They haven't even put something forward and the president's plan was an outline that the House and Senate voted against. You can't argue you have a mandate when your own party voted against "your budget."