When Vice President Pence steps on the stage at the Minneapolis Convention Center Wednesday morning, he will be touting the tax cut President Trump signed into law last year for the second time in as many days.
The previous event in the Trump-aligned group America First Policies’ “Tax Cuts to Put America First” series took place on Tuesday in Fargo, N.D., with Pence as the headline speaker.
“It is great to be back in the Roughrider State with hundreds of the men and women who voted overwhelmingly to give this country a president and a Congress who, just over three months ago, enacted tax cuts to put America first,” Pence told the crowd.
“And as I get started, I bring greetings from a man whose leadership made these tax cuts possible, a man who has great admiration for the strength and the character of the people of North Dakota,” he added. “I bring greetings from the 45th president of the United States of America, President Donald Trump!”
By the November elections, Pence may complete more than 50 events promoting the new tax law, a White House official familiar with the planning told the Washington Examiner. He is expected to have spoken at over two dozen by the end of April.
“We are excited and grateful to have our esteemed vice president as our special guest as we make our way across the country — from rural towns to the suburbs to major metropolitan areas — to talk to everyday Americans about how the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is positively impacting them, their families, their neighbors, and their local businesses,” said Erin Montgomery, communications director for America First Policies. “We believe all Americans, not just those in the ‘DC bubble,’ deserve a chance to hear directly from thought, policy, and business leaders on this historic legislation. The attendees at our events get that chance thanks to our panel discussions, which are entertaining and educational.”
It is part of a larger campaign blitz by the vice president ahead of what figures to be a challenging midterm election cycle. Historically, the party in power loses seats, and while Trump’s approval ratings have rebounded somewhat recently, they are still in the 40s.
Since January, Pence has spoken to a donor event for Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., campaigned for unsuccessful Republican candidate Rick Saccone in Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional District, and raised money for Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky. Heller and Barr are top Democratic targets this fall.
But the tax law is viewed by many Republicans as critical to their chances. It is the single biggest joint policy accomplishment Trump shares with the GOP congressional majorities, and both the savings to individual taxpayers it produces and the economic growth it stimulates represent the best chances to boost the popularity of the president and his party’s candidates. Pence is good at staying on message.
Pence’s appearances have generally been to the strategic benefit of Republicans. North Dakota is one of ten states Trump carried in 2016 with a Democratic senator up for re-election this fall. Pence boosted Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., a top GOP Senate recruit, while in the state, where Trump remains popular.
Minnesota, where Pence is speaking Wednesday, is a state Trump only narrowly lost. So is New Hampshire, where the vice president recently headlined an event about the tax cut. “Unemployment in New Hampshire and all across this country hasn’t been this low in 17 years,” he said. “And New Hampshire had the fastest-growing economy in New England.”
Pence has tried to emphasize the local benefits of the tax law wherever he has spoken. “Businesses all across the Buckeye State have already announced plans to pay their workers more handout bonuses and hire more people and open new locations,” he said in Cleveland, citing Jergens and Elsons International as examples.
“You know, all told, when you put it all together in a pile, we believe our tax cuts are going to save the typical family of four here in Georgia more than $2,200 a year when they all take effect,” Pence said in Atlanta. He later added, “In just the past three months, businesses large and small across this state have already announced plans to pay their workers more, to hand out bonuses, to provide better benefits for more than 75,000 Georgia workers, including bonuses here in Atlanta as high as $2,000 a person.”
“As President Trump is tackling a host of issues ranging from opioids to trade, it is wise to have Vice President Pence focused on the virtues of tax cuts,” said Republican strategist Ford O’Connell. “Particularly in areas of the country that Trump might not be as popular — suburban districts, etc. — as congressional Republicans try to hold the House of Representatives.”
The vice president uses the speeches to highlight other Trump administration priorities, praising deregulation, reminding audiences about Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and pledging that border wall construction will begin soon. He makes sure to give Trump — and congressional Republicans — the credit.
“Three months ago yesterday, with the strong support of these great leaders in the Congress, and with the support of every Georgia Republican in the House of Representatives, President Donald Trump signed the largest tax cuts and tax reform in American history,” Pence said in Atlanta. “That’s promises made and promises kept.”
America First Policies has tried to keep the tax cuts front and center at these events, convening panels of people telling stories about how they benefited from them. Pence has been happy to oblige.
“Following our panel discussions, they then have the opportunity to hear straight from the vice president of the United States about how this law is specifically impacting them and their state for the better,” Montgomery said. “His presence — most notably his kindness, authenticity, and ability to truly connect with the people of our great country, people from all backgrounds and walks of life — makes these events truly special.”
A February SurveyMonkey poll found support for the tax law reaching 51 percent, up from 37 percent when it passed in December. Republicans still think there is room to grow these numbers, as a CNBC poll found 52 percent not noticing the tax cut in their paychecks.
Some Republicans also worry that Trump’s tariffs could partially cancel out the tax cut, both at the pocketbook and macroecomic level. “Under President Donald Trump, I can assure you, the era of economic surrender is over,” Pence vowed in Manchester, N.H., adding, “And I promise you, this president and this administration are going to keep fighting for American jobs and for free and fair trade that benefits our economy and our family.”
“The tax bill as a 2018 campaign weapon for congressional Republicans is not yet at critical mass in terms of resonating everywhere,” O’Connell said. “Having Pence hammering home its virtues cannot hurt.”
