Gingrich Back On Tax Cut Trail Criticized By Conservatives, He Talks Tough On Taxes, Nea

House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., seeking to quash conservative unrest over his leadership, reaffirmed his determination to cut taxes before the end of the year, asserting that Republicans remain committed not only to balancing the budget but also to “lower taxes now.”

Gingrich touched off a rebellion in his own ranks shortly before the Easter recess when he suggested he was prepared to defer tax cuts until Congress reached agreement with the Clinton administration over a balanced budget.

His speech here Friday morning to a Georgia business group appeared to be an effort to dampen the revolt as Congress prepares to reconvene next week.

Gingrich said “people got very confused” when he broached the issue of what Republicans were “willing to negotiate.”

“The most I have said is, have the tax cut vote this year,” Gingrich asserted. “Some people were so used to the (rapid pace of the first) 100 days in 1995 they thought if we didn’t have a boiled egg in three minutes you couldn’t fix an omelet.”

Gingrich refused to talk about how he envisions dealing with taxes separately from other budget votes.

On another issue that has rankled conservatives, Gingrich said Friday he still favors the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Some conservative Republicans have worried that Gingrich had begun to soften his opposition after meeting with actor Alec Baldwin.

“My view is simple,” Gingrich said. “Eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts.”