House Majority Leader Steve Scalise discussed economic growth strategies in an interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box. He emphasized the efforts of President Trump to foster economic development through fair trade, permanent tax cuts, and negotiations with foreign countries. Scalise highlighted the role of House committees in advancing reconciliation measures to support these goals.
Scalise spoke about achieving fair trade: “Well, I’m on board with it. And in fact, President Trump talked about all of these items… But he talked about getting fair trade with our friends and enemies around the world.” He noted that many countries are negotiating better trade deals, which could lead to reduced tariffs and a stronger economy.
Regarding tariff negotiations and tax cut permanency, Scalise stated: “We know that there are countries that are talking to the White House about a new deal… I think it’s only going to be a few – you get Japan, you get India…” He expressed hope for new trade agreements that would drop tariffs on both sides, leading to greater stability.
Scalise also addressed stabilizing tax rates: “That’s what I’m pushing for [is to extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017]… But let’s start with a baseline that nobody’s tax rates go up.” He argued for maintaining current tax rates to encourage investment and economic growth.
On maximizing economic growth under Trump’s leadership, Scalise said: “A lot of those things are predicated on the uncertainty with tariffs… if we have a stabilized tax code and we have agreements with other countries… I think you’ll see the markets react to that.”
He also discussed transparency in healthcare pricing: “Well, when I talk about transparency… it’s the only form of pricing that you cannot find out what something costs.” Scalise called for price transparency so consumers can make informed decisions.
Lastly, he commented on politically-motivated companies sharing price hikes: “That seems more political… Well, businesses can communicate with their customers however they want. That’s between a business and their customer.”
