Businessman Tony Wied voiced support for eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and potentially the Environmental Protection Agency during a primary debate for the open 8th CD.
Wied, state Sen. André Jacque and former state Sen. Roger Roth largely agreed on topics presented during yesterday’s discussion organized by Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, including workforce participation, interest rates and tax cuts, among other issues.
All three candidates are running both in an Aug. 13 special election to fill the remainder of former U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher’s term after he resigned and for a full two-year term that starts in January.
In response to a question about federal regulations, Wied said the country’s federal agencies are “completely bloated” and every single one needs to be audited.
“Right now, I think we can cut each of them and cut spending in half, and maybe even more,” Wied said “There’s agencies that we have right now that I think we can completely eliminate; agencies like the Department of Education, and we need to look at the EPA and really, truly dig in and find out exactly what’s going on.”
Wied repeatedly reminded the audience at the KI Center in Green Bay that he is the only candidate in the race who has the backing of former President Donald Trump. Roth noted several times he’s been endorsed by former GOP Gov. Scott Walker.
Asked about how to boost participation in the workforce, Roth said lawmakers need to find ways to incentivize work again. He called the Biden administration’s student debt relief plans “ridiculous” and argued they will only exacerbate the problem.
“Every time government comes out with a solution to a problem, it disincentivizes people from working,” Roth said.
Wied argued people are “sitting on the sidelines and not working.” He said the issue needs to be investigated.
“People are obviously feeling that they can work for a little bit and then they can go back home and they continue to get benefits,” Wied said.
Jacque touted his work passing legislation to boost military corpsmen’s participation in the health care fields in Wisconsin and eliminating a tax on active duty military pay.
“When we talk about not disincentivizing work, part of that discussion has to be reforming our tax code so that we’re not taking as much out of people’s paychecks and instead just giving them benefits,” Jacque added.
In closing statements, Jacque said voters need a proven conservative in Congress, while Wied railed against “career politicians.”
“I think it’s critical that we elect proven conservatives to Congress because otherwise we’re never going to get anywhere,” Jacque said. “Anybody can tell you what you want to hear in an election. You have to look at those who’ve shown through their record that they actually mean it.”
He added elected officials need to be able to stand up to pressure, particularly from “party bosses.”
Wied said voters need people in Congress who aren’t there to be career politicians.
“We need people that are actually there to serve,” Wied said. “I’m not here to be a politician. I am here to truly represent each and every one of you in district 8 and I think the founding fathers intended for there not to be career politicians.”
Roth, like Jacque, also said the state needs a “proven conservative.”
“We need a proven conservative fighter who’s actually delivered results, been in the trenches, obtained the bloody scars, worked with Gov. Scott Walker to bring about the civil service reform here in our state, the Right to Work law here in our state, worked hard to help our businesses with wetland reform—I’ve done it,” Roth said.
Dem Party spokesperson Joe Oslund in response to the debate said Wied and Jacque “are tripping over each other to be the most extreme, pro-Trump candidate.”
“The only thing either of these two candidates have to offer is more of the extreme dysfunction that drove Mike Gallagher to quit politics altogether,” he said.
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