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Vice President Mike Pence calls Mill Steel 'an American success story'

Vice President Mike Pence was in Grand Rapids Wednesday afternoon, touring Mill Steel and discussing tax reform policies with employees.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Vice President Mike Pence spent the afternoon in West Michigan praising a local company he said is evidence of successful tax reform.

He arrived on Air Force Two around 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12. While in town, he toured Mill Steel in Grand Rapids. His speech touted President Trump's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, highlighting growing jobs and wages in Michigan and around the country.

Pence called Mill Steel "an American success story." The company gave each of its full time associates a $1,000 bonus in February as a result of the tax cuts.

"When all these tax cuts take effect, the average household income in Michigan is going to rise by about $2,000 over the next two years and over the next coming years as much as $4,000 in family income," Pence said.

According to a nonpartisan report by the Congressional Budget Office, the country's economic revenues grew by one percent in the first 11 months of the 2018 fiscal year, while spending rose seven percent. The budget deficit was $895 billion in that time.

President Trump also imposed a 25 percent tariff on steel imports earlier this year, prompting counter-tariffs from other countries. As a steel distributor and processor, Mill Steel works with both domestic and foreign manufacturers and has experienced mixed results with the tariffs, said Chief Financial Officer Marc Rabitoy.

Pence took jabs at Democratic U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters of Michigan for opposing the tax plan. He said the administration has made positive economic change without them.

"We're going to keep standing strong with all the leaders at the state and federal level...until we take this Michigan comeback and we set all new records for jobs and opportunity," Pence said.

Governor Rick Snyder and U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, also attended the event. During his remarks, Pence also gave his condolences to billionaire Richard DeVos, the co-founder of Amway and father-in-law of U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

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