US Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill., visited a small engine components maker in Peoria Fri., touting career and technical education and the GOP’s tax plan.
LaHood supports the Republican proposal that would reduce the tax rate on corporate income from 32 percent down to 20. He says that would make US manufacturers more competitive in the global market. But the Republican Congressman says some policies supported by the president could hurt the manufacturing industry.
“I think the president’s had more of a closed vision, when it comes to trade. Remember, we’re four and a half percent of the world’s population in America," LaHood said. "If we have trade agreements where we can compete fairly around the world, our products will out every time.”
Specifically, Representative LaHood says he thinks President Trump’s abandoning of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, was particularly regressive. The agreement would have deepened economic ties between member nations, but all 12 countries needed to ratify TPP for it to go into effect. Caterpillar, the world’s largest heavy equipment maker and one of Peoria’s largest employers, supported the TPP.
Republican Congressman Darin LaHood says he’s willing to consider a ban on bump stocks. That’s the device used by the shooter in Las Vegas to make a semiautomatic weapon fire multiple rounds like a fully automatic one. LaHood says he supports making bump stocks illegal, in addition to tougher enforcement of current gun laws.
“We already have laws on the books with semiautomatic weapons right now, and for automatic weapons," LaHood said. "Obviously, it appears that the bump stocks were the issues in this case, and I think that should be the focus at this point.”
Congressman LaHood spoke briefly to reporters following a tour at Quality Metal Products for National Manufacturing Day.