Republican George Allen on Tuesday unveiled a detailed economic agenda calling for broad tax cuts and a rollback of government regulations — sure to be a hallmark of his “us against them” U.S. Senate campaign.
“The path that America’s on right now is a downward spiral,” Allen said in an interview. “Rather than diminishing opportunities … we need to have ascending opportunities for our country.”
The assortment of conservative agenda items in Allen’s 12-page outline, dubbed a “Blueprint for America’s Comeback,” includes reducing the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent, eliminating the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate carbon emissions, and allowing for oil drilling off Virginia’s coast.
| The Blueprint |
| •Reduce corporate income taxes from 35 percent to 20 percent and reform the tax code, including a “freedom to choose” flat tax for people |
| •Prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating carbon emissions |
| •Allow oil drilling off of Virginia’s coast; plans had been halted in May 2010 after the Deepwater Horizon disaster |
| •Repeal “Obamacare” and replace it with “portable, affordable health insurance,” including options for personalized health savings accounts |
| Source: georgeallen.com |
In addition to jobs and energy, the plan also focuses on reining in what Allen describes as an “over-reaching, over-spending federal government,” in part by instituting a balanced-budget amendment and repealing President Obama’s health care reforms.
Allen once again described the controversial budget proposal from Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., as a “thoughtful approach,” praising provisions that would give states more flexibility in running Medicaid and reducing taxes on businesses. But Allen still declined to say whether he supported the most controversial portion of Ryan’s plan, the transformation of Medicare into a voucher-style program that would help recipients buy private health insurance.
The Allen plan stresses the need to “make needed improvements” to Medicare to keep it financially sound, such as rooting out an estimated $50 billion wasted every year through improper and fraudulent payments.
The “blueprint” was predictably met with scorn from the campaign of his potential adversary, Democrat Tim Kaine.
“Voters have already seen George Allen’s ‘blueprint’ for America during his six years in the U.S. Senate and don’t need to see any more,” said Kaine spokeswoman Brandi Hoffine.
And Jamie Radtke, one of several candidates vying for the GOP nomination in the race to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., said Allen’s record in the Senate, which included votes to raise the government’s borrowing limit and increase the national debt, was part of the reason America needs a blueprint for a comeback.
“I don’t think the real issue is the plan,” she said, “it’s the credibility.”
