A new call for sweeping fiscal reforms has emerged from Advancing American Freedom, a group led by former Vice President Mike Pence. This advocacy organization is pushing for a series of reforms to tackle the escalating national debt, which recently crossed the $35 trillion mark.
The group has released an 8-page document, described as a “guide to cutting federal spending,” which outlines a three-step strategy. According to the document, the growing debt crisis is not due to inadequate revenue but a failure to make difficult decisions about reducing spending and eliminating wasteful programs.
Former Vice President Mike Pence’s Organization Releases Strategy for Handling National Debt Through Spending Cuts
The first step in their plan targets mandatory spending, recommending reforms to key programs like Social Security and Medicare. Proposed measures include curbing waste, implementing additional work requirements for Medicaid beneficiaries, establishing a congressional commission to review potential budget cuts, and means-testing Social Security increases to ensure that high-income individuals do not receive automatic raises.
Next, Advancing American Freedom advocates for cutting tax expenditures. Their plan calls for the rollback of clean energy tax incentives introduced by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which was passed with only Democratic support. They also recommend repealing the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction, which benefits residents of high-tax states, arguing it encourages higher state taxes.
Lastly, the group’s proposal emphasizes reducing discretionary spending. They advocate ending “shutdown theatrics” and earmarks, freezing non-defense spending, and potentially eliminating the Environmental Protection Agency to save billions.
The document concludes with a call for politicians to align their actions with their rhetoric, emphasizing that 2025 could be a pivotal year for implementing these changes. This initiative follows Pence’s campaign efforts in 2024, which focused on advocating for “common sense” reforms to entitlement programs.
