Rigell taking heat from Tea Party

WAVY TV

Updated: Feb 27, 2013 6:38 PM

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Republican Congressman Scott Rigell is facing push backs from Tea Party loyalists for his appearance with President Obama at Newport News Shipbuilding Tuesday.

Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) is not a surprising guest alongside the president, but many Republicans took offense to Rigell's seemingly newfound friendship with Obama.

"I knew that some would misunderstand why I got on that plane," Rigell told 10 On Your Side. "It wasn't about getting a ride on Air Force One. It was about being able to speak directly to the president about the need to avoid sequestration... to replace it with something wiser."

Rigell is also willing to revise the tax code in an effort to find middle ground with Democrats in time to avoid Friday's sequester.

"[Rigell] was elected to restrain the federal government. He was elected to be in there to cut spending to cut taxes because when you cut spending you can cut taxes. He's done neither," Founder of the Hampton Roads chapter of the Tea Party Karen Miner Hurd said.

Rigell does agree with Tea Party loyalists and other Republicans that spending cuts are the primary path to reducing the federal deficit.

"We need to eliminate the significant number of lobbyist-written loopholes because our revenue has got to come up a bit as well. We haven't been at this level of revenue since 1959," Rigell said. 

Many of Rigell's constituents applaud his efforts to find compromise however ther are some outside the tea party against raising taxes.   "As far as the tax issues go I think we've raised enough taxes which is making it harder on business all in all," Virginia Beach resident Abagail Russell said.  

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