Pence Talks Tax Reform, Tammy Baldwin During Milwaukee Visit

Vice President Mike Pence praised federal tax cuts and offered put-downs of Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin during a speech Wednesday in Milwaukee. Pence spoke at a rally sponsored by America First Policies, a conservative activist group with ties to President Donald Trump.

Pence told a crowd of a few hundred that the federal tax overhaul passed by Congress last December will save the typical family of four in Wisconsin more than $2,500 a year in taxes.

“And 90 percent of working families are going to see a tax cut reflected in their paychecks before the year is out, if they haven’t already,” Pence said.

But the vice president said that’s “only half the story.” He said companies are passing along some of the tax savings to workers.

“We truly know and expect that the average Wisconsin worker is going to see a pay raise when all of these tax cuts take effect. The average Wisconsin worker is going to see a pay raise of more than $4,000 a year. Wages are already on the rise,” Pence exclaimed.

Pence also launched a lengthy attack on Baldwin for her vote against the tax overhaul.

“Time and again, Sen. Tammy Baldwin has voted against policies Wisconsin needs,” Pence said. “When the time came to cut your taxes, Tammy Baldwin voted no. When it came time to letting Wisconsin families keep more than $2,500 of their hard-earned money, Sen. Tammy Baldwin voted no. When it came time to giving Wisconsin job creators the kind of tax cuts they need to compete and win with companies all over the world, Tammy Baldwin voted no.”

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin responded with a statement:

“This is everything Wisconsinites hate about Washington: Hours before collecting campaign cash from wealthy donors who just benefited from a GOP tax scam that hurts middle-class families, Vice President Mike Pence attacks Tammy Baldwin for standing up to corporate special interests and putting Wisconsin first,” the statement read.

At a press conference in Milwaukee earlier Wednesday, the state Democratic Party argued taxes will go up in the long-term under the GOP overhaul and that Republicans are setting the stage for “deep cuts to Medicare, Social Security and nursing home coverage.”

In the early evening, Pence attended a fundraiser for Republican Gov. Scott Walker.