Norquist meets with House GOP on anti-tax pledge, draws Dem scorn by Cristina Marcos Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist met privately with House Republican lawmakers Thursday to remind campaign-bound members of their pledge to his group to block all tax increases. The pledge is a well-known and controversial commitment ATR has gotten most congressional Republicans to sign. Norquist told reporters before the meeting that it served to discuss "what the pledge means and what the pledge doesn't." The event, hosted by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., and Republican Study Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, came as Congress prepares to reform the individual and corporate tax codes next year. Norquist said that his Taxpayer Protection Pledge would help guide negotiations if Republicans win both chambers of Congress and the White House. About 15 lawmakers and nearly 100 aides attended the Norquist sit-down. Democrats have painted Norquist's pledge as the primary roadblock to reaching agreement on "balanced" deficit-reduction measures that would include both spending cuts and revenue increases. They argue he has an inordinate level of control over the Republican conference. "Grover Norquist is the only Republican leader who can truthfully say he has the entire Republican Party in the palm of his hand," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said on Tuesday. So if you want to know what the Republican position is on any of the enormous economic challenges facing this country, don't waste your time asking Governor Romney, Speaker Boehner or Senator McConnell. Just ask Grover. Norquist charged that Reid is "going around lying every day about what the pledge means." He said the comments misrepresented how the pledge is meant to serve lawmakers' constituents -- not his organization. Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich., top Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee, also said the pledge has "handcuffed" lawmakers. He called Norquist, "Mr. No and Mr. Know It All." Only six members of the House GOP have declined to sign Norquist's pledge. But two House Democrats have added their names to ATR's roster: Reps. Ben Chandler, D-Ky., and Rob Andrews, D-N.J. In the Senate, all but seven Republicans are on board with the Norquist pledge.