Duffy outlines plans to cut federal budget

Republican congressional candidate Sean Duffy proposed Tuesday rolling back parts of the federal budget to 2008 levels as part of a six-point plan to chip away at the national deficit.
Duffy discussed his plan surrounded by a small group of children and their parents at a campaign stop at the Marathon County Public Library in Wausau, one day after meeting with the Wausau Daily Herald Editorial Board. During the Editorial Board meeting, he stuck to broad themes and hesitated to specify financial policies to cut down the national debt.
Duffy faces Rudolph farmer Dan Mielke in the Republican primary on Sept. 14. Julie Lassa, a state senator from Stevens Point, and Don Raihala, a real estate agent from Superior, are running for the Democratic nomination to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Dave Obey, D-Wausau.
Duffy’s proposed spending cuts did not include the defense budget, which he said could “be on the table some day” but not during wartime.
The targeted area — known as non-defense discretionary spending — accounts for about 15 percent of the total federal budget and doesn’t include Medicare, Social Security or other programs with a mandated government contribution.
Duffy said he’s primarily concerned about administrative costs at the federal level, including government agencies, the executive branch and Congress. The rollback could save $925 billion in 10 years, he said.
“It’s a small percentage (of the total budget), but it’s putting skin in the game,” Duffy said. “It’s about being willing to make the sacrifices you’re asking other people to make.”
Lassa campaign spokeswoman Haley Morris said the concepts were “shoddy talking points.”
“Wisconsin voters deserve real plans, real solutions on how to clean up Washington, and Sean Duffy just doesn’t deliver,” Morris said.
Among the six points introduced Tuesday, Duffy said he supports extending two packages of tax cuts passed in 2001 and 2003 during President George W. Bush’s administration. While the packages included increases in child tax credits and lower estate taxes, commonly known as a “death tax,” they also created more controversial credits for individuals making more than $200,000 a year and families making more than $250,000.
Duffy said allowing the cuts to expire at the end of the year as scheduled amounts to a tax increase, particularly for small-business owners who fall into those salary categories.
“I just don’t believe you spur economic recovery by taxing people,” he said.

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