Rep. Griffin opposes tax hikes, prefers flat tax system

Editor’s note: Roby Brock, with our content partner Talk Business, wrote this report. He can be reached at [email protected]

U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin, R-Little Rock, fielded questions from constituents this morning ranging from the debt crisis to tax hikes to Presidential politics in our most recent live-stream Q&A "Talk Politics" session.

"Talk Politics" is sponsored by the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas, Impact Management Group, Connect Arkansas, and ConwayArkansas.org.

Griffin, a first-term Republican representing central Arkansas’ second district, said he is close to making his mind up on supporting a GOP Presidential candidate.

"I have not decided to say publicly who I’m going to support yet … I’m real close," Griffin said, adding that by Labor Day he expects the field to be set. He did narrow his top three choices for the GOP Presidential nomination.

"I think they are Romney, Pawlenty and probably somebody not yet in the race,” Griffin said.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry is expected to enter the fray in the near future.

Griffin repeatedly said he is opposed to any potential tax increases, even on those who make more than $1 million a year. Instead, he supports tax reductions on wealthy Americans, but also wants to close deduction loopholes in the nation’s tax system.

"I don’t believe that the American people are taxed too little," Griffin said. "This is not a revenue issue … I am an advocate for tax reform that reduces the top rate and closes deductions so that we have a fairer, flatter tax system."

When asked if Griffin thought a resolution to the debt ceiling crisis would be resolved, he noted that he was headed to Washington for a briefing on the latest negotiations. Griffin said that if deep and immediate spending cuts aren’t part of the proposal, he’ll likely oppose a compromise.

"They (President Obama and Congressional leaders) are going to try to put the big decisions on the other side of the Presidential election. If I feel like that’s what’s being done, I’m a ‘no’," he said.

Griffin also emphasized that he sees a limited role for government in private business intervention. Specifically, he said that the government should not have stepped in to save Yarnell’s Ice Cream in Searcy and he said he felt that Congress did not have role in intervening in the labor disputes in major league football or basketball.

Link here for access to a video of the Griffin interview.