Kind not happy with GOP tax plans or inaction against Russia meddling in election

La Crosse Congressman would like to
simplify taxes but not at expense of health care

Republicans in Congress are putting off the introduction of their tax reform plan until Thursday.

The rollout was supposed to happen Tuesday. Instead the ways and means committee was apparently working Tuesday night on the proposal that could cut trillions in taxes.

Whenever it happens, La Crosse Congressman Ron Kind, who is on the ways and means committee, has problems with the Republican spending plans he’s seen so far.

“In fact, the budget resolution that they just past last week, calls for a $1.5 trillion worth of cuts to medicare and medicaid, to pay for, in part, these tax cuts that are being imposed,” Kind told reporters at the La Crosse airport, before heading to Washington. “I think that’s the wrong direction that we should go in.”

Kind hopes that reform ideas can makes things easier for average American.

“I’d love to simplify, simplify, simplify,” Kind said from the La Crosse airport. “I’d like to make it more competitive in light of what the rest of the world has done.”

Kind also addressed the probe into charges of Russian meddling in the 2016 election. He says there are needed changes in how Americans choose leaders due to that fact.

But Kind isn’t optimistic. All he’s seeing is inaction at all levels of government.

“So far, Congress is doing nothing. The administration is doing nothing. And most states, including here in Wisconsin, are doing nothing,” Kind said. “And that’s very troubling because we’ve just seen how vulnerable we can be to outside influence.”

Kind believes that special prosecutor Bob Mueller should be left to do his job without much interference from Congress.