Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, Puts 'Patriotic Millionaires' in Their Place Over Tax Increases

Yesterday, Facebook founder and billionaire Mark Zuckerberg told the president he was "cool" with higher taxes. In fact, a number of prominent wealthy liberals have been agitating for tax increases. There's even a group called "Patriotic Millionaires for Fiscal Strength"  that are pushing the issue. As Matt Continetti notes, Senator Orrin Hatch recently sent a letter to "Patriotic Millionaires":

While we may disagree on the need for tax increases, I appreciate the Millionaires’ philanthropic desire to share more of their wealth with the federal government, and I want to make sure that you are aware of opportunities to fulfill this noble aspiration. For those that are interested in making voluntary contributions to pay down the national debt, the process is both easy and advantageous. Federal law authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to accept conditional gifts to the United States for the purposes of reducing the public debt. Individuals can go to the website, pay.gov, where they are able to make a tax deductible charitable contribution to pay down the public debt.

Continetti has more thoughts on the matter so read what he has to say. But Hatch makes a good point. Why wait for Congress to pass higher taxes? If it's a matter of "patriotism," why not pay down the debt with your fortune now? (And you don't have to claim that tax deduction if you don't want to.)