TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI)- U.S. Senator Mike Braun is visiting every county in the state of Indiana on his annual tour. So far, he has visited over a dozen counties in the state of Indiana so far. He says there are three issues that are concerning Hoosiers the most. Rural Broadband, affordable housing, and the workforce. He says businesses tell him it’s due to many people making enough money off of unemployment.
"I travel the state and have listened to small medium and large business owners they say competing with the federal government in enhanced unemployment benefits when we are having trouble getting people back to work," said Senator Braun.
Braun feels the American Rescue Plan went too far. He says the extension of an additional 300 dollars in unemployment extended until September has disincentivized people from going back to work, which is why he voted against it.
"I was all for 1,400 dollar checks to people that were still without a job and that were still hurting and in the area's disproportionally hurting like restaurants," said Senator Braun.
Recently President Biden proposed a 2.2 trillion-dollar infrastructure plan. Braun says that for a bill bases on the president's plan to pass with bipartisan support, it needs to focus on traditional infrastructures like roads and bridges.
"When you throw valid long-term investments like water and sewage treatment plants, rural broadband, and even stretch to elderly housing that's taking it beyond what we normally talk about in infrastructure,” said Senator Braun. “I’m not saying there aren't needs there. But if you focus it on traditional infrastructure you'd get most Republicans for it.”
To pay for this plan, President Biden has said he will set the Corporate Tax Rate at 28 percent and discourage offshore banking. However, Braun feels raising taxes on large corporations may not work.
"Most people don't know when we had a 35 percent corporate tax rate there were so many loopholes that the big companies with their staffs of lawyers and lobbyist were paying closer to 20 percent," said Senator Braun.
Braun says he would be willing to work across the aisle to get rid of the loopholes.
"I would be because as a main street entrepreneur I can't think of any loopholes that benefit small businesses our effective tax rates are generally the same as our nominal tax rate because we don't have that benefit," said Senator Braun.
Regardless of getting rid of loopholes, Braun doesn't feel increasing the corporate tax rate is the best way to pay for an infrastructure plan.
"User fees are how I think we can pay for infrastructure,” said Senator Braun. “Nobody wants to discuss that because it's a political hot potato whenever you are talking at the federal level how you pay for things when you've gotten so used to borrowing the money.”
Senator Mike Braun also discussed the state of Indiana's economy. He feels Indiana is doing better than most states because the Pandemic was handled moderately.
